The Gap Between Now & Forever
by lockofcurls
Summary: REVISED STORY; WILL BE FINISHING SOON! From within the depths of darkness, they found a light in each other. PostDH GHr. M for mentions of sucide, adult language, and sexual situations
1. Rain, Rain, Go Away

**Disclaimer**: Obviously, the characters aren't mine. Situations are of my doing. I had simple line spacers. but if forcing me to use huge ugly lines. If you know how to fix this, hit me up. Just as promised, you are now able to enjoy the reworkings of The Gap Between Now & Forever. Please enjoy responsibly.

**Warnings**: Mentions of suicide, adult language, and future sexual situations

* * *

**Chapter 1: Rain, Rain, Go Away**

Hermione Granger landed in the fireplace of her living room in Coatham, to her humble cottage near the sea. Angered by her co-workers antics, the large pile of work at her desk that seemed to multiply every time she blinked and the terrible weather sweeping across England, the young witch threw her belongs onto the couch and took a deep breath. _'The day is over. It's Friday. There's no work tomorrow. You're home now,'_ she thought. _'All that you need to worry about now is what to make for dinner and which book to read tonight.'_Hermione looked about the quiet living room, the rain and the waves crashing being the only sounds to fill the empty spaces. Releasing another sigh from her lips, she made her way to her room to change into her nightgown.

Her footsteps seemed to bellow as she walked down the short hallway, the creaking of her door like a monster from the movies she watched as a child with her parents. Even the growling from her empty stomach echoed. While there was a time when she could appreciate such silence, this just felt deafening to her.

She was tired and it showed. From the pace she used to take off her left shoe, her right shoe, her left sock, her right sock; to the way she stared blankly at nothing in particular as she slipped her gown over her head and turned to leave her bedroom and head into the kitchen. Hermione felt almost mechanical in her movements and, for the first time in years, her head was void of thoughts. Having thoughts required thinking to begin with, and for thinking one needed energy. Even the small, insignificant noises around her began to go unregistered. If she could just make it to the kitchen and make herself some dinner, then everything would be just fine.

The first few moments of arriving to an empty house were always the most nerve-wracking of times and she just really didn't want to think about it. As she pushed the swinging door to her kitchen, Hermione's eyes immediately fell unwillingly to the calendar that was magnetized to the fridge door. There was no need to look, she knew, but it had become almost a tick for her. Today, of all days, she did not want to know existed. Today marked what would have been three years together, but instead it marked three weeks alone. Teeth clenched, Hermione took a strong gulp and a deep breath to keep her emotions in check and her tears from forming. _'Tonight is to celebrate the end of the work week and to relax, and I'll be damned if I don't have that.'_Her eyes never left the pages of the calendar as she opened the door to the fridge to grab something, anything.

And that's when Hermione found the last bottle of butterbeer, opened and half drunk, in the back of her fridge behind a jug of juice and a few water bottles. To the average person, that might not have meant much; to Hermione however, it was the last piece of him and a symbol of everything he did that made her angrier than anything else ever had. She knew, somewhere in the back of her brilliant mind, that she was crying because it was suddenly harder to breathe and her heart was pounding out of control. Slamming the door shut, Hermione grabbed a glass out of the dish rack and flicked her wand at a group of wine bottles from the counter, charming them to follow behind her as she walked quickly out and into the living room. Her mind never even registered the sound of plates and decor jumping from their shelves and crashing to the floor as a result of her high emotions.

The wine bottles floated their way down to the hard wood floor of her living room as she elegantly sat down in her chair facing the window. Her hand shook as she grabbed the first bottle and poured the wine to the brim. Suddenly, everything hurt and the pain in her chest was getting harder to ignore. She knew what was coming, knew what was happening. Despite how hard she had fought for the past few weeks, she was going into a dark place and she was too weak to fight it tonight.

Tonight, the final string broke.

* * *

"I worry about that poor girl."

"I know, Mum. I worry about her, too."

Molly Weasley was, as usual, fretting about her children - both blood and adopted - while preparing dinner. There weren't too many in attendance tonight, but that wasn't an unusual occurrence these days. Tonight's dinner would be just for herself, her husband, her politically obsessed son and the remainder of her twin sons, with leftovers just in case anyone decided to show up (though they usually didn't).

"I still don't see why Ronald had to go and screw everything up, _as usual_! I swear, he'll regret his mistake soon and it will be too late!"

It was nearly three weeks before Ron had admitted the real reason behind Hermione's unusual absence at the Friday night family dinner everyone attended. An uncomfortable silence had hung in the air around them that night that hadn't been there in years. He could still taste the betrayal and hurt in Harry's words as he asked Ron, "How could you?" Looking up at the sudden movement of the family clock, George Weasley watched as the hand of his third eldest brother moved from "traveling" to "home".

"Are you stressing yourself about this again, Mum? How many times have I told you to leave it be! She's better off without him anyways."

Percy Weasley barely had enough time to dodge her oven mitt before he was able to finish his feeble attempts at defending Hermione. He had been one of the many that had been fooled by Hermione's insistence that she was doing fine, and believed that they were better off without each other.

"If it'll make you feel better, I'll take some of the leftovers over to her house after dinner, Mum. You know, check up on her and see for myself that she's doing alright," George told her before moving to get the plates.

This had become a nightly tradition before anyone had realized it. Now on his own, George had grown tired of cooking for one and had slowly started coming back to the Burrow for dinners with his parents. Percy had soon followed suit to help make up for the lack of time spent over the last few years. Going along once again with routine after setting down his cloak and bag, Percy set off after the silverware.

"That would make me feel much better, dear. Thank you."

* * *

The ground was chilled from the lack of heat inside the quiet home, but it didn't matter anymore. Her eyes felt swollen and everything looked blurred. She raised the glass to her lips again, despite the internal struggle not to. The early November weather outside closely matched the feelings within her. It felt cold, wet, and dreary. The hiccup that escaped her mouth, she supposed, was as close as she'd ever come to a chuckle or giggle again. Though their break-up had occurred nearly a month ago, the pain still felt raw from holding it in for so long. She was so sure that this was it, that he would be the man she spent the rest of her life with. He had told her once that the love he had for her would last forever.

"It's all a load of fucking crap-filled shrewts," she sobbed into her glass before gulping down more of her wine.

She paused, feeling another tidal wave of dizziness passed over her. She contemplated not drinking anymore seeing as she'd already polished off two full bottles of glorious wine, but she couldn't stop, didn't want to stop. It had been brewing inside her for so long and she wanted nothing more than to be able to drink away every touch she could still feel on her skin, every memory of them in bed, every dinner he ever cooked, and every time she waited and gave him another undeserved chance.

Not trusting herself enough to use her wand, she manually uncorked the next bottle of red wine that barely registered as a housewarming present from Bill and Fleur. The wine was poured into the glass and was raised in a silent toast as the half-filled glass was downed in four large gulps.

* * *

"Mum, I do believe you've outdone yourself tonight!"

George wiped off any traces of the wonderful dinner and dropped his napkin onto the table. Molly chuckled before taking a sip of wine.

"You say that at _least_ once a week, _every_week, George Weasley! I'm beginning to think you're only flattering me so you can keep getting free meals every night!"

Percy and their father, Arthur Weasley, couldn't help but laugh along with the playful banter that usually followed George's remarks. George took in an overly dramatic gasp and clutched his chest in pain.

"Mother! How could you possibly say something like that! And about your own son! I'm offended, and I think the only way you could make it up to me is if you—"

"—Gave you two scoops of strawberry ice cream with your pie instead of one," the others finished for him.

"Well," he started as he placed both hands behind his head and moved his body in a more relaxing manor, "since it seems we're all in agreement with it…"

"That sweet talk won't work tonight, love. In case you've forgotten, you promised to take food over to Hermione's after dinner. Now that dinner's over, you'll be rushing right along, won't you?"

George mumbled something about no one understanding his pain and his family loving Hermione more than him as Molly handed him to freshly contained batch of food. He gave a quick wave to his laughing brother and father, gave his mother a peck on the cheek, and popped loudly out of the kitchen to a small house near the sea in Coatham.

* * *

_"Sometimes, it's just not right. Sometimes, we have to accept that the pieces just don't fit."_

_"After all these years. After all this time! AFTER EVERYTHING I'VE DONE FOR __**US**__!"_

Hermione poured the last of the wine from the bottle to her mouth, foregoing the glass completely. Fleeting thoughts swept quickly through her mind as her body moved against her will. '_No one else will be here for you. No one else will love you. You'll never be enough. All that work for nothing. It all amounts to nothing. You amount to nothing. You will fade into nothing.'_

_"I'm sorry, Hermione."_

She could still hear his words so clearly.

"Get out," she spoke into an empty room.

It felt like she was reliving the past. The once crumpled pieces of wood had somehow put themselves back together and he was back in the chair he called his. The air became hard to breathe and tears that had appeared to run out began free-flowing down her cheeks once more. His words rang loud and clear throughout the inner walls of her mind.

_"I never meant for this to happen, 'Mione. You have to believe me."_

And just like that night, she could feel all of the hurt snap her from inside as she used up the last of her energy to scream at the memory of him.

"**GET OUT!"**

She could feel the constant and steady waves of dizziness wash over her in rhythm to the high tide outside, but didn't give in. Blinking several times helped her to regain some clear vision back. Ronald was no longer in her home to destroy the few remaining pieces of her heart, and the chair he sat on weeks ago had somehow gone back into its mangled form. A few more tears glided their way down to the floor before she found the strength to move away again.

It had felt like her very soul had been violently detached from her body; like a Dementor had succeeded in trapping her alone in a dark corner miles away from help. '_It'll never end.'_Her eyes focused on the mirror at the end of the hall. Staring back at her was the face of a girl with overly pale skin, lifeless eyes, and no traces of ever having smiled. Disgusted, she turned away from her reflection and continued down the hall to her room.

Her limbs felt like they weighed more than she remembered them being as she slipped the straps of her nightgown off her shoulders and pushed her knickers to the floor. '_You'll be alone for the rest of your life.' _She headed for the bathroom and straight for the tub wanting nothing more than to feel the warmth of something, anything, devouring her body once more.

She remembered the moment she originally resized the tub. Ginny couldn't understand why she'd want a tub that was big enough to fit three people in it until she calmly explained to her best mate that it was so that both she _and_ Ron would be able to comfortably fit in it. '_This should be your coffin_.'

She contemplated that last thought as she watched the rain pour down outside the small house. What if she ended it now? She already knew that she had no one left, so why live lonely forever when she can leave now and join dear friends in the elsewhere?

_'So tired… It'd be nice to sleep,'_ she thought as she shifted slightly in the tub. '_It'd be nice to fall asleep and never wake up_.'

The water surrounded her up to her nose, and the last thing she remembered before losing consciousness was the faint voice of someone calling her name.

_'Coming…'_

* * *

George arrived directly onto Hermione's porch and grumbled as he suddenly found himself in the middle of a storm. He quickly casted a shield charm around his body to keep from getting soaked to the bones, seeing as it had already done a number on his clothes. George attempted to wipe off some of the water from his face, but to no avail.

"This is _exactly_why I wanted ice cream first, and I bet you're just getting a kick out of this Fred," George grumbled, shooting a dirty look skyward.

Out of the corner of his eye, the flickering of a lamp in the window caught his attention. George peered in to see if she was in the front room and felt his stomach sink.

Half of the lamp was on the floor in shards, while other half was strewn across the small side table and the arm of the couch. Pieces of wood were piled in the corner with tear marks along the walls behind it as what George assumed used to be a chair. Bottles littered the floor near broken glass and scattered shoes. Picture frames laid in a fashion that reminded him of bodies from the War; their frames in splinters, the pictures torn to shreds, the glass shattered around them.

Something was terribly wrong and old fears mixed with new ones as hypothetical situations formed in his mind; runaway Death Eaters had come to finish the job or a random murderer had sought her out as his next victim. She'd done herself in.

George shook his head. '_No. Don't be stupid. There are too many wards on her house for her to be attacked. And suicide? She'd never do anything like that. Me on the other hand…'_

George moved back to the door and began frantically knocking on the door.

"Hermione?"

He tried to call out as loudly as possible to not be drowned out by the crashing waves and heavy rain, only to be greeted with nothing but silence. He knocked again and called out to her, panic growing faster in him than he could push down. After the third try, George pulled his wand out of its holder in his robe and decided that he wasn't going to waste any more time if Hermione was in some sort of danger.

George watched as the door flew open and nearly unhinged from the spell. Running into the room he realized it was in a much worse state than it appeared from the outside. The kitchen door was directly to the right, but all he found were cupboards doors open and gripping for life to hinges to prevent from falling and plates broken all over the place. '_Whoever did this was in a right rage_,' he thought. He rushed back out of the doorway and headed down the hall where a thin stream of light peaked from around the corner. '_We should have come to visit her instead of believing what we read in her letters.'_

"Hermione!" George yelled out. '_She should be responding.' _"Merlin, Fred, don't let them take her, too."

Images of a mangled body molded in his mind. The moments of finding out about Fred's death refreshed in his mind as he ran to the door left ajar. George burst through the room and found that it seemed it was the only room in the house left untouched. Not a thing out of place, no sign of dust anywhere. The only thing that gave away anyone ever walking through here were feminine undergarments laying on the floor in front of the door to the—

"Bathroom," he breathed.

Water was spilling out from underneath the bathroom door. George covered his mouth with the back of his hand to muffle his cries. '_She's in there,'_was all he could think.

"No! I am NOT losing anyone else!"

The next few minutes seemed to play out in slow motion for George as he ran over the drenched hard wood floors and into the bathroom. His hand was still connected to the door as he found the large bath to his left overflowing with water and could clearly see a body at the bottom. His entire body felt frozen.

"NO! Merlin, no!'

George rushed to the tub and dove his hands in the water to recover her body. He struggled to get her out and keep his balance on the slippery tile. He kept calling out her name in hopes that she'd come to, that he was wrong and this was all an accident. He laid her down on the floor as gently as possible, trying to remember any and all spells he could think of to get the water out and the air back in, but nothing came to mind. His head was blank and all he could see was her still form.

His hands hovered over her, still in shock and in disbelief of the site in front of him. The helpless feeling that once clouded his very being at the sight of his deceased twin forced its way back to the surface. While he knew that losing control over his emotions wouldn't bring the girl lying before him back to life, a part of him just couldn't stop.

"DO SOMETHING FOR FUCK'S SAKE, FRED! HELP ME PLEASE!" The echoes of his anguished screams bounced around the room.

It was times like these when George realized how much Fred had helped make one complete being. Fred could handle changes in plans and come up with quick fixes to give George enough time to come up with new plans of his own. He'd have been able to get someone from St. Mungo's here while Fred tried to get Hermione to start breathing again. George tried to think of what Fred, or hell even Hermione herself, would have done in a situation like this. '_Obviously, they'd have used their wands.'_

"My wand!"

George leaned over Hermione's body and scrambled at his wand before the water rushing out of the room carried away his wand as well.

"Vidial-… veedila-… No. FUCK! Hermione, I can't r-remember! HELP ME!"

George cradle Hermione's dying body close to him and cried into the crook of her neck, his wand still clutched in his hand. Later, George would look back on this night convinced that Fred was by his side from the moment he left the Burrow until now, when in the back of his mind it came. George quickly pulled Hermione away from his body and laid her back down on the floor.

"Videlicet latuseris! Sileo spiritus!"

The fog that had been hovering inside of his mind had disappeared and he felt as if he could see things clearly again. A violent cough erupted from the naked woman in his arms as he began to figure out his next move. George sent his patronus after Katie Bell, his former classmate who was an apprentice to a very successful healer at St. Mungo's, with a message to come quickly and quietly, not knowing yet if he wanted the world to know that tonight he saved Hermione Granger from herself.


	2. Wish I Had Known

**Chapter 2: Wish I Had Known**

Katie Bell couldn't help but feel slightly impressed with herself at the moment. Her hair was tied up in a sexy tousled bun, and the new pajamas she had purchased the day prior were small and left little to the imagination.

Not that she had anyone to impress tonight, but it didn't hurt to boost the ego a little. It was her first full day off in nearly two weeks, and Katie was planning on enjoying every last moment of it. She'd gone shopping earlier with Alicia, Angelina, and a few other girls they had attended Hogwarts with, and ended the day with a round of firewhiskey at The Three Broomsticks. And now, she was enjoying some peace and quiet with George's patronus and the last fairy cake Alicia had made her. Katie's eyes squinted in confusion, her mouth open and hovering over her treat. '_Wait, what is George's patronus doing here?'_

"Katie! Please, I need your help! I need you to come to Hermione's house here in Coatham!"

It had been years since she'd last heard so much anguish in George's voice, let alone seen him use such drastic measures to contact another member of the Order.

"And for the love of Merlin's wand, please DON'T tell anyone about this!"

With those last few words, the animal twisted back into a glowing cloud before dissolving completely. She knew the right thing to do would have been to contact her mentor and had her meet her there, but she knew that if George had _that_ kind of time, he would have flooed or Apparated straight to St. Mungo's. With one last longing look at her chocolate treat, she buttoned her cloak and left with a small _pop!_for Hermione's.

* * *

Her body felt relaxed, warm and better than it had in years. It was darker than she had imagined, almost pitch black, though she really didn't know what quite to expect.

"Go back, Hermione."

The tone in his voice was flat and he sounded almost… annoyed. Hermione turned in her spot but could barely make out the face she was nose to nose with.

"Didn't quite expect to see you here. Although, I use the term 'see' loosely," she whispered, still in shock.

"We could say the same for you." _That voice. It couldn't be…_

"Like I said before, go back! Taking the easy way out won't get you where we are. It'll keep you here, in the darkness. Besides, I've already managed to get George to find you. It's only a matter of seconds before he stops crying long enough to remember the proper spells to revive you."

The forms of several people next to him were barely visible, no matter how hard she tried to focus on them. She could only guess at the guests in attendance. '_So, I'd be alone, even in the afterlife,'_she thought, her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Yes, but no one ever said you'd spend your _living_life alone. Out of self pity, you came to that conclusion on your own."

Hermione looked in the direction of the voice in surprise. He had heard her thoughts, but in doing so, had sparked hope within her.

"Experiencing great loss is an unfortunate part of life. It's something we must all go through. And just because one love has ended for you Hermione, doesn't mean no others can start. All is not lost, but you have to stick around long enough to see that."

The last voice belonged to a woman whom she could not recognize, but knew her somehow. She felt her body being pulled from behind and knew that George had remembered the spell. In a weird way she felt proud of him, figuring it must be out of habit from times when Harry or Ron remembered spells without her help. What little she could see of the figures faded away quickly. The last thing she thought of was how sad she was knowing she'd never remember any of this happening.

* * *

Regretful wasn't a strong enough word to describe how she was currently feeling at the moment. She had somehow underestimated how close to the door she'd need to be and ended up on the side of the house. On the sand, barefoot, and in the rain.

"And Trainers; a simple thing and I couldn't remember it," she grumbled. "Not even slippers!"

Katie cast a shielding charm around her as she made her way around to what she hoped was the front of the house. The lights of the room beside her seemed to be on, but were dimmed by the closed curtains in the windows. Jogging quickly around the corner, the porch came into view as well as a faint light from the doorway. Katie assumed that the wind from the storm must have kept the door open. When she reached the porch, she quickly cleaned her feet before stepping up to the open doorway.

"Bloody hell."

The young healer's voice was a whisper and was carried away quickly with the wind.

The sight before her could only be summed up in one word: disaster. Katie felt all the wind being knocked out of her, thoughts of coming home during the days of the War flooded her mind. Katie quickly ran down the steps of the porch in an attempt to get a better look at the house as a whole. Her eyes immediately darted for the roof, looking for any sign of the Death Eater symbol floating above.

Nothing. It only made her feel slightly better.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Katie ran back up the steps and straight into the house, closing the door behind her. Seeing the damage up-close scared her. '_What happened here? Oh, Hermione. What have they done to you?'_

"Katie?"

George's voice rang through the house from her left somewhere, the pain still evident.

"George? Where are you?"

"Bedroom! Hurry!"

Katie made her way to the bedroom at the end of the hallway, the only other room with light. The floor had become a giant puddle of water. She was getting more and more confused by the second. '_What the hell is going on here?_' Her eyes followed the trail of water to its origin and found George clutching a gagging, naked woman, who was currently moving out of his arms to vomit.

* * *

There was a burning sensation coming from her throat as she tried to take in air. She could still feel remnants of water in her nose and lungs.

"Mind tellin' me _what the fuck _has exactly been goin' on here, George Weasley?!"

_'Who is that? Oh god…'_

Hermione felt like her jaw was going to be dislocated from her head. She could feel the stomach acid inching its way slowly up and out of her, along with the many pints of wine she seemed to have digested. It made her even more sick to be so sick and the feeling would mirror itself once more again. She ultimately felt like a failure. All throughout their traveling before the War, she had criticized herself for not having figured out everything about the horcruxes sooner. After her and Ron ended, she hated herself for not even amounting to "enough". She could officially add "cannot commit suicide properly" as another failure on what seemed to be a growing list.

"I c-came to bring her food. Fuck, Katie. FUCK! You cannot tell a-anyone about this. She's still too common of a household name. Oh, for a-all the bloody fucking galleons in the world! Of course _this_is what I walk into. This is punishment isn't? Merlin…"

The mumbling behind her continued on for what felt like another lifetime as she fought for control over her stomach. Hermione felt like the only things left to regurgitate were her organs, and when only air and spit would come out she realized she hadn't anything left in her. Her knees hurt from the hard surface beneath her. There would probably be bruises in the morning, but it didn't matter much. She dared to open her eyes to see the damage before her and was caught off guard when all she saw was sparkling tile.

She didn't deserve the help she was getting. She had tried unsuccessfully at ending her life and they wouldn't stop helping her. Her arms started to hurt from the weight it carried and let herself collapse onto the floor. More and more of the night's events were starting to come back to her; destroying the kitchen after finding his half-full bottle of butterbeer in the back on the fridge sending all the frames in the front room crashing to the floor, spelling the pictures inside of them to rip themselves in half, letting the water devour her completely, Ron's words to her the night he…

"Why did you save me? Why couldn't you have just let me die in peace? WHY WOULDN'T THEY  
TAKE ME, TOO?!"

Hermione hated them. She hated everyone that she ever knew. She hated Ron for leaving her, hated Harry for taking his side, hated the Ministry for being as screwed as they were, hated George for saving her and calling Katie, and hated Katie for showing up. Hermione wanted to spat her thoughts of hatred towards them, but all she could do was cry and feel herself die a little more inside.

* * *

George knew that as much as he had accomplished tonight, he was still considering himself useless. No sooner had Katie arrived, then Hermione twisted out of his hold and began to heave on the floor in front of the sink. She kept heaving until it turned to coughing, and the coughing to crying. Not being used to these sort of situations, George promptly buried his face in his hands and let the saline run. Waves of various emotions hit him; sadness, pity, happiness, relief, panic, anger.

He felt the water beneath him quickly evaporate, as well as the smell of the various food and drinks Hermione had consumed recently. George had taken in deep, rapid breaths to help regain his composure.

"You ok?" Katie's back was turned to him while she reached into the bath to drain the water.

"I've been better, but thanks." George turned to Hermione, whose pain wracking cries seemed to fill the household. "What do we do now?"

"_We_aren't going to do a thing until we get at least a dressing gown on her. You're going to go into the kitchen and front room to clear out that mess. I'm going—"

"—No. I want her to be the one that cleans that up."

George heard a small gasp behind him as he stood up. All of this seemed unnaturally familiar. What he knew was that Hermione was going to have to confront what happened if she was ever going to move forward from here.

"George, I highly doubt she'd be able to—"

"When Fred died," he spoke over her, "I did nearly the same thing she did tonight, only worse. Do you remember?"

When Katie diverted his gaze and shifted uncomfortably he knew that his point was coming across clearly to her.

"I destroyed our room at the Burrow and tried to take my life by my own wand. Bill, Percy, and Lee cleaned the room and nothing was ever mentioned again. Then, I smashed every vial in our research room at the store. You, Alicia, and Lee found me with nearly every pint of blood _outside_of my body. You did the best you could to retrieve all of it and, once again, Lee had cleaned up the evidence and it wasn't spoken of again. The final straw was somewhere after the free falling incident when my dad and Charlie forced me to see what was going on and what I was doing to everyone around me.

"Six times I tried, Katie! Five times it was cleaned up and ignored, and each time after it got worse and worse. It was a long time before I was able to see beyond the grief and find a reason to live again. I understand that losing a family member isn't the same as being dumped, but obviously it means a great deal to her if she's willing to just give up and die!

"No, in the morning she'll be given something for her hangover and she'll deal with the aftermath. With the way she is with magic, it'll end up taking approximately 3 seconds no matter what. If you could put her in some clothes, I'll stay the night with her. I'll owl Verity in the morning and let her know that I won't be in for a few days. I can trust you to keep this silent for a while, yeah? The last thing she needs is her moment of weakness spread all over the Daily Prophet next to the never ending news of her break-up with that tosser."

Katie fidgeted uncomfortably in place, but she simply nodded in agreement and headed for Hermione's wardrobe for some clean clothes to wear. George turned towards Hermione and watched as his friend curled into the fetal position, mumbling between tears about things only she could hear. He squatted down behind her, his hand hovering above. George wanted to console her, let her know that she wasn't alone, but the words never came.

George thought back to his time in the darkness and realized that there were no words that would ever make him feel whole again, and that was when the source of Hermione's pain came into clear view.

"Took me a minute to figure out where everything was, but I've got 'em," Katie told him as she came back into the room.

George moved around Hermione to lean against the sink, giving Katie ample room to navigate in. He looked on as she lifted an arm here, a leg there, and suddenly Hermione was dressed. He heard the young healer mutter a few spells with her wand poised over Hermione and watched as the tip turned various colors. Katie rubbed and squeezed Hermione's arm gentle before talking softly to her.

"Alright love, all dressed now. George is going to take you to your bed now. You didn't do any permanent damage, but its best that you get some sleep tonight. I have a feeling sleep won't be coming easy for a while."

Katie stepped out of the way as George bent down to pick up Hermione. The blank, numb stare behind her eyes worried him. Had he looked like that once? Had that stare evoked the same fear in his friends and family that he felt within him at this moment? George gently slid his right arm under Hermione's back and his left under her knees and carried her to her room with Katie in tow.

"I'll stop by again tomorrow night and make sure to bring some food with me."

He heard Katie Apparate home behind him and let out the shaky breath he had been holding. '_I never want to do this again. I apologize wholeheartedly for committing the same crimes.' _George looked around the room and weighed his options. '_Sleep beside Hermione and risk bodily harm in the morning, or find a nice chair to sleep on?'_

Deciding that losing one ear was the most he was willing to give up for one lifetime, George transfigured a pencil he had found on her nightstand into a very comfortable chair and collapsed into it.

George looked over at Hermione once more and found brown eyes staring back. There was emotion behind it again, and George took advantage of the silence to observe her. She looked lost and scared, like she hadn't a clue what was going on and needed him to give her answers he couldn't give her.

"Will you stay?"

Her voice was small, and George couldn't tell if it was his lack of an ear or because she barely had the strength for those three small words. There were a million things George thought of saying to her. Catchy things that the men in stories would say to the damsel in distress, things Fred might've come up with.

_'Wouldn't dream of it love!'_

_'Until the darkness is gone forever.'_

_'I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.'_

"Yes."


	3. The Only One to Save Me

**Chapter 3: The Only One to Save Me**

George awoke the next morning to a stifling pain in his neck. His back ached from sleeping in the chair, and bending his neck forward hurt from his head being tilted towards the ceiling all night. '_Tonight, I'm sleeping in the guestroom,'_he decided. The young man looked over at his sleeping friend. He concluded that the charms he placed on her to wake him if she tried to leave the bed had indeed worked. George looked around the room to finally assess his surroundings. The events of the previous night hadn't left room for much more than panic and worry.

Behind him was a white wall that was connected to the door on the other end. He watched with a smile as family and friends laughed and played within their frames. He caught sight of a few frames that remained still. There were variations of a younger and older Hermione standing beside a man and woman he vaguely remembered as her parents. His smile dropped slightly remembering what Hermione had to go through to protect them.

When George looked to the opposite side of the room, all he saw were books. Rows and rows of books lined the wall in bookcases that came complete with a rolling ladder. George chuckled a bit at the sight. '_Typical Hermione.'_The wall to its left had a large window with a beautiful view of the ocean with a large wood desk in front of it. There were piles of parchment in neat stacks on her desk, but quills and empty ink bottles were scattered all along the desktop.

Hermione shifted a bit in her sleep and turned toward her books. One of the fluffy pillows had become her bed companion and was hugged protectively to her. George's heart went out to the poor girl, whom he assumed might have been dreaming of happier days when his younger brother had been there to hold her tightly back. Her loneliness felt too familiar to him.

His eyes subconsciously moved the bathroom door. Flash images of last night crept about in his thoughts. George shook his head to drive the thoughts away and glanced at the large clock on Hermione's bedside table, only to find that it was currently blocked by a large, corked bottle of a sickly peach color. George scrunched his face in disgust, knowing the concoction within it all too well. The lone prankster made his way around the bed and grabbed the bottle, glancing at the time. '_9.17 AM. Bloody hell. Going to hex my bits right off, she is.'_George shook his head again and moved to sit on the bed beside her.

"Hermione," he spoke quietly, "Come on, love. Time to rise and shine and all that."

Hermione groaned and mumbled incoherencies before turning away from the voice threatening to bring her to the land of the living. George chuckled a bit as she put the pillow and the covers over her head. He leaned back on his right hand, placing it on the other side of Hermione before leaning in closely.

"I've got something that will make the hangover disappear completely, but you have to get up first. So, what will it be, eh Granger? Suffer all day, or get up and have it gone in a few minutes?"

It was a couple of moments before he saw the covers slowly inch their way down and heard a tired release of air as the pillow was picked up and thrown to the base of the bed. George sat up and hooked his right arm around her waist to help her sit up. Once in the upright position, Hermione promptly grunted, quietly burped, and collapsed her head on George's shoulder. Knowing she'd probably just fall back down to the bed if he let go, George popped off the cork with his teeth and maneuvered so his left arm was helping to hold Hermione up and his right was helping her hold the bottle so she could drink its contents.

"There we go," he cooed. "I bet you can already start to feel the potion start to work!"

"You'd think they'd have invented better tasting medicine by now."

Hermione rubbed her face into his shoulder a bit before resting it in the crook his neck.

"What am I going to do now?"

A part of George couldn't understand how someone so strong and so directional was suddenly so weak and lost. '_Even the strongest towers fall weak to weathering, I suppose.'_A small, scared part of George longed to grab Hermione by the shoulders and place her at arm's length immediately. He hadn't had someone so physically close to him since before his twin's death, and wasn't quite sure how to go about dealing with someone who seemed to so desperately need someone to hold her.

George rolled his eyes at how ridiculous he'd seemed to become. Feeling uncomfortable hugging people was supposed to have been Ron's job, but seeing as he'd never done anything but slowly destroy the girl leaning against him he knew it was up to him to do something. Again. Hesitantly, George wrapped his other arm around Hermione and leaned his cheek against her head. Though George wouldn't admit it out loud, he was silently grateful that she wasn't crying. It was a few moments before George broke the silence.

"As much as I enjoy having a gorgeous witch in my arms – on a bed no less – I feel it's time we get down to business and, dare I say it, clean," George announced dramatically, pulling Hermione slightly away from him.

Hermione's facial expression was blank, and though he couldn't tell just by looking at her, George knew exactly how she was feeling. She gave him a few short nods and twisted her body around to get up. Hermione kept her eyes cast downward. Looking around, George could see why she sought out to destroy the house. Though Ron had kept his residency at The Burrow, he was hardly ever there. The Trio, along with Ginny, had opted to stay many nights over at Hermione's or at Harry's residence at Grimmald Place. The only real times George saw Ron at their childhood home was because he'd either had a row with his girlfriend or because she needed a quiet house to work in. Everything in her home must have been just as much _him _as it was _her_.

George had to suppress the sudden urge to do this room in as well. '_Bloody git,'_ he thought to himself_. 'Had the world but felt he needed more. Hope he's sodding miserable right now.'_He placed a hand on the small of her back and guided her out of the room.

"Enough of this room, yeah? We're going to go straight to the kitchen first. Most important room in the house, if you ask me!" George continued to push her down the hall, always staying to her left. He took a deep breath before heading through the front room. Though Hermione kept her eyes glued to the floor, George felt it best to try to shield her from this particular room anyways. He pushed the door to the kitchen open and felt Hermione move away from his hand and walk in on her own.

* * *

Hermione couldn't believe how much damage she'd done to her beloved kitchen. It was her favorite room in the whole house. The kitchen was also the only room that was redecorated the Muggle way. She had been so proud of this room, and loved to spend her evenings sipping on tea and finishing her paperwork at the long wooden bar table in the center of the room.

Now all of it was destroyed and it was her fault.

"My kitchen," she sobbed.

Hermione could feel her legs growing unsteady and reached behind her for George. She felt fabric and grabbed a hold of it as two hands gripped her elbows to keep her up.

"It can be fixed, Hermione."

His voice was soft and close to her ear. It seemed to echo over and over again in her mind like a prayer she so desperately wanted to believe in. Hermione felt like her throat had somehow swallowed her heart. It made her feel sick with emotion. What was happening to her? '_Of course it can be fixed, but it'll never be the same, will it?'_

"Come on, 'Mione. I'll help you. Just tell me what you want me to do."

Somewhere in the furthest reaches of her mind, memories of decorating this kitchen the first time came with the echoes of _his_ voice. '_No. I won't think about him now.'_With trembling legs, Hermione stepped away from George as he called, "Accio wand."

Rumbling and rustling was heard coming from the front room. The two were sure the wand was struggling to be free of the wreckage. Seconds later, it zoomed through the room into Hermione's hand. Hermione glanced around the room. There was so much that needed to be done, and neither of them had a clue where to start. She took in a deep breath and slowly turned sideways to look at George.

"Let's, uh… I'll start with the, uh, dishes. You'll get the cupboard doors, yeah? I can't think of anywhere else to start...," her voice trailed off.

"Wicked. I think we should also discuss your choice of color themes in this room, love. Too much green!"

Hermione couldn't help rolling her eyes at his comment, but refrained from lecturing him. Over the past few weeks she'd been feeling the same way. She still didn't know what color she'd want to replace it with, but figured it could wait until another day. Like George had said, the kitchen was fixed in a little over two hours. The young witch sat at her recently repaired and cleaned table while she watched George finish washing the last of the dishes.

"Penny for your thoughts," he said over his shoulder.

"Actually, I'm thinking about changing the colors in this room. What do you think?"

George lifted his head as he set the plate on the dish rack. Hermione bit her lip in anticipation of his answer. He grabbed the towel to dry his hands before turning around to view the room. She had always been impressed by the twins' ability to be relaxed and maintain the carefree air about them regardless of the situation. Hermione was relieved to find that George hadn't lost the gift when Fred died. Even after two hours of the grueling work – with _and_without magic – he seemed to be able to release the tension in his body effortlessly.

Another thing that she was impressed by was the Weasley children's knack for cooking and cleaning to near perfection by magical means. Although certain cleaning charms were still lost on Ron, despite how many times she and his mother corrected him, George was in no way his youngest brother. _'Especially in appearance,' _mused Hermione silently. While the top of her head barely came to Ron's shoulders, George had been only a head taller than her. His sleeves were rolled up and she could still see the results of years of Quidditch evident in his bulging forearms. The rest of his upper body showed equal definition under his close-fitted shirt. George, she recalled, was the stockiest of the Weasley children, but it looked good on him. It always amazed her how one family could have such fit children.

"I think this place could definitely use the change. After all, you've entered into a new chapter in life and you deserve it. Plus, it might help to erase a bit more of Ickle Ronnikins from this place. What colors do you have in mind?"

In truth, Hermione hadn't been able to come up with any at all in the last few weeks, let alone the last two hours. Various colors had popped in her mind, but were quickly discarded once she realized they all had association to her ex-boyfriend. She wanted a color to make her feel like she'd moved on. Hermione wanted a color that made her feel… But what did she want to feel? Happy? Sad? '_Anything.'_

It was this moment that Hermione really took in George. He wore a dark orange button-up shirt with the letters 'WWW' in bright magenta embroidered decoratively and large on the left side of his chest. His legs were covered in a brownish-black dragon hide pants that flared slightly at the bottoms to cover what appear to be black boots. It was the first time she'd seen what they might have worn underneath the matching bright magenta robes to work.

"Orange."

The word had left her mouth before she was able to really think about it. Yet, it made sense. Orange had been a part of her for years. To her, orange reminded her of the hair atop the Weasleys' heads. It reminded her of the leaves during fall and even Crookshanks' pelt came to mind when she brought up images of the warm hue. The color felt bold and safe to her. She saw George let out a hearty chuckle and couldn't help but join in with him.

"Orange it is then, yeah? How about we set to changing the walls after lunch? Changing the colors will take a while 'cause we'll have to decide shades and the like. I'll cook while you get to work on the front room. I think that might be a project you'll need to tackle alone. If you really need me though, just give us a shout."

Hermione watched as George crossed the room and held his hands out to her. Hesitantly, she grabbed them and accepted his help getting off of the stool. George rubbed his hands up and down her arms a bit before giving them a squeeze and releasing her. As she started for the kitchen door to the front room, George set off to start on lunch. Rounding the corner, Hermione hoped that his favorite chair had been destroyed to irreparable means during her drunken rage.

Anticipation began to build up within her rapidly, her heartbeat gaining speed within her chest. A gasp escaped her lips as she entered the room.

* * *

"Do you ever feel a sense of dread, but have absolutely no clue what it's about?"

"Every once in awhile, but mate, the War's over. You'd think all this paranoia would've been gone by now."

Harry mulled over Ron's comments. He was right. The War had been over for quite some time now, but he had a feeling this had nothing to do with old habits.

The Savior, as the Wizarding World had taken to calling him now, continued to stare into his pint, slowly twisting himself to the left, then to the right in the bar stool. Harry picked up the mug again, pausing just before the glass touched his lips. He'd had this feeling before, but couldn't quite place it.

"I don't think that's it, Ron," he said just before downing his drink.

Ron followed suit and turned his stool to face his best friend. He could see genuine concern etched into his face out of the corner of his eye.

"Then, what do you think this is about?"

_'Hermione.'_

Harry looked up, shocked at his own inner answer, but even more shocked at why he didn't question it before. He thought about the young witch that had become his surrogate sister over the years. When was the last time he spoke to his best friend? When was the last time they had lunch together? When was the last time he had heard from her? Harry's eyebrows furrowed in confusion before turning to Ron.

"When was the last time either one of us went more than three days without so much as a Hermione sighting?"


	4. The Ones Who Love You

**Chapter 4: The Ones Who Love You**

'_Damnit,'_ she screamed inwardly. '_How could I have been so stupid?!'_

Hermione stood in utter disbelief at the amount of damage she had done the night before. Somewhere in the distance she could hear the swinging door to the kitchen rock back and forth behind her. With each swing she could feel her lungs growing tighter and tighter. She could see now why George insisted on staying. This wasn't a room; this was a graveyard for home décor.

Puffy clouds of white stuffing were strewn all over the room. Glass and shreds of paper had somehow mixed with the stuffing she vaguely recognized as magazines and photos. Painted wood chips stabbed the ceiling and the wall above the fireplace. Even her beloved white brick fireplace hadn't managed to avoid her deadly hand. The couch had somehow been cut in thirds, its pieces nowhere near its original spot in the room.

The rain from last night's heavy downfall had made its way into the warzone through the open windows, which were completely void of glass and has soaked everything around it. Parts of her grey brick fireplace had been dislodged from the wall and lay on the floor in front of it. Surrounding what used to be her antique coffee table were, what she assumed to be, empty wine bottles of various shades and sizes. The last thing she noticed was the destroyed blanket Mrs. Weasley had knit for her last Christmas, half burnt and laying amongst dead embers in the fireplace, before collapsing to the floor and crying. While destroying things had felt good at the time, Hermione knew nothing was worth feeling like she had lost the last sacred thing she had left.

* * *

George was only slightly amazed at how quickly he and Hermione had been able to clean and semi-organize the kitchen. He knew the china and cupboard doors would never be the same again – their wounds couldn't fully heal, even with magic – but he knew Hermione had more than enough galleons to replace them if she truly wanted to. The trio had never come out and fully explained how much they had received from the Ministry after the fall of Voldemort, but he knew the amount had to be substantial.

George shuffled through the bottom cupboards through what he believed to be the world's largest supply of pans looking for a skillet to use for lunch. It was the only kind of pan he used for cooking and had come up with some of his best creations in them. The rustling had created much noise, drowning out the sounds from the other room. He let his mind wander a bit while he looked through the pantry to see what he had to work with. His thoughts roamed over Ron's announcement weeks prior and over the various new inventions he'd enjoy testing on him very soon.

How much did any of them really know about Ron and Hermione's break up? The wizard felt a wave of disappointment wash over him when he analyzed the recent events in his head. From what he had known of the witch, she was always there to listen to Ginny's worries over complications rising between her and her soon-to-be husband, to Ron's whining and complaining about the trials and tribulations of work, to Harry over the years about Voldemort and school, and about general daily life for all three of them. Had any of them taking the time to listen to her, to actually hear what she had to say? What about himself and the rest of his family? The girl was as much a part of their family as Harry, and yet they had just barely saved her in time.

_You're gonna have to help her, you know,_ his conscious told him.

'_'S not really my place. We're not even friends really. Outside of family and friendly gatherings, have we ever willingly hung out? Gin and Harry should really be the ones here.'_ And though, argue as he may, he knew that seeing Ginny and Harry in their successful relationship was one of the many things Hermione really didn't need. Recently engaged, the shining couple that the entire Wizarding community was talking about was currently absorbed in floral arrangements and cake types, while also working full time jobs.

He knew that Hermione didn't have a lot of friends she could really turn to, and the less people that knew of her situation the higher the chances were that the monsters at The Daily Prophet wouldn't get hold of her story. No, George knew he was going to have to be the one to help her. '_Somehow, I feel this is going to go terribly wrong_.'

George snapped out of his thoughts and stood still, straining his good ear to listen for any movement in the next room. Silence filled his ear as he pulled out the frying pan. He had found interesting ingredients earlier that he thought would make for a tasty meal, but realize he didn't know how Hermione took her eggs.

"I suppose I could just scramble 'em, but it'll be my luck she's picky," he said to himself.

With the pan still in his hand, George made his way out of the kitchen and into the living room.

"How do you take your eggs, love? I was thinking 'bout trying my hand at om—"

Nothing in the living room had changed, with the small exception of its demolisher sitting on her legs before the chaos. He watched as the young woman turned her head slowly toward him before standing up. Mentally, George threw his frying pan at his brother's head for leaving, quite possibly, the one girl in the world who looked beautiful even while tears and boogies littered her face. George pulled his wand from his back pocket and transformed the pan into a handkerchief to hand to Hermione.

"I can't do this George. I-I-I just ca-can't."

George handed her the transformed handkerchief and enveloped her, feeling slightly like an arse for forcing her to do this alone. Not everyone was him, and just because the act had helped him during his recovery didn't necessarily mean the same would work for Hermione. He pulled her away from him slightly.

"I was feelin' a bit cramped in here anyways. Whad'ya say we go out for lunch? We'll work on this together once we've had our bellies filled."

Hermione wiped away at the last of her tears and nodded before wrapping her arms around George's middle once more.

"Thank you, George. For staying with me, for helping me, and for saving my life," she confided into his chest.

"Don't worry about it, love. Know of any good places here that cook breakfast, too? Been in the mood for eggs for a lifetime and have yet to actually eat some!"

Hermione gave George a small smile as he watched her walk down the hall and turn the corner before transforming the handkerchief back into the fryer. He lowered the pan down to his leg and surveyed the room. It was no wonder why Hermione couldn't even look at this room. He remembered her housewarming party and how proud she'd been of her new home.

"George! What are you doing?"

"Huh?"

George's hand and wand had moved by their own accorded without him actually realizing it. Breaking out of his revere and looking back into the mess, George found that he had mended the overstuffed couch back to near perfect condition, as well as the coffee table, the window along with its curtains, and the fireplace. The bricks were mid-reconstruction when Hermione had entered the room.

"Oh, um… I don't really know," he stumbled.

Part of him had become worried that she was going to do to him what she'd done to the poor couch, but to his surprise, Hermione had begun to laugh a little.

"Well, stop!" She chuckled slightly. "We'll take care of this… later."

George gave her his infamous grin and watched as a small blush crept into her cheeks. Though it was soft sounding and over after just a few short seconds, Hermione's laugh had been glorious for his ear to hear. She gave him a smile that still couldn't quite reach her eyes, but he knew it must have been the biggest she'd been able to produce in a long time.

"But thank you. I think the mantle looks better than it did before. Not nearly as many cracks, at least," she added.

Hermione walked toward the door as she placed the last button on her jacket through the hole. George pulled the scarf off her arm and wrapped it around his neck. He looped her arm through his as they made their way out the door and toward delicious, over-priced food.

* * *

Their walk to lunch had been spent in relative silence, but Hermione had enjoyed herself. After a slight shiver a few blocks in, George had moved his arm around her and held her close to share body warmth for the remainder of the walk. It had been the most amount of physical contact she'd experienced in the last few months. She didn't want consolable hugs or hand pats in fear of the pain engulfing her. This, however, had not affected Hermione as she originally thought it would. Just found it just slightly comforting and safe, in fact. Before long, they had reached a small local diner. George had chatted her up about her home, and though it hurt her to talk about it, she knew George was trying to help her move on.

"I was thinking, maybe you should just chuck what broke and get all new furniture." George dropped his voice before continuing. "Ministry must have given you lot loads for your help. More than you'd ever need, I bet. Why not be a bit selfish and use it on yourself and your home? I'll help you shop and everything."

George's generosity had slightly overwhelmed her. What with the cleaning and the saving and now this? Not even her friends had offered to help without her ever asking. '_I mean, I know it's in the Weasley nature to help, but for George this is a bit much, isn't it?'_

"Why do you even care, George? I mean, no offense, but… we were hardly friends before this. I don't want you to feel obligated to help me sort out my problems just because you happened to be in the right place at the right time. I think you did enough with just that, honestly. Why did you come by last night, by the way?"

Hermione watched as George looked away from her while he finished his bite and reach for cup of coffee. It seemed like he was thinking strongly about what he was about to say very carefully.

"I was there last night because Mum sent me to bring you some leftovers from our dinner. She's been worried about you. So, last night I told her I'd pop in and check up on you. I stayed because I didn't think you wanted nor should have been left alone. I'm _still_ here 'cause I've been where you are, tried what you have. Merlin, 'Mione, you nearly scared my other ear off last night. Please, never try anything like that. I can't lose you, too. Whatever it is, it's not worth it. Believe me."

His seriousness wasn't scaring Hermione like it had so long ago. His loss during the War had changed a part of George and she found herself wondering often if he'd ever gain that back, if there could be anyone to help mend that part of him that had been ripped away before her eyes.

Hermione moved down the legs of her chair where her purse rested and pulled out her wallet. In her peripheral vision, she saw George quickly wipe at his face. When the waitress dropped off their bill, George swatted at Hermione's hand as she reached for it.

"Unless you have a secret pocket in that jumper of yours filled with Muggle money, I suggest you let _me _pay and simply offer to treat me next time," she whispered to him, a smirk on her face and a cocked brow.

Their walk back had been just as before; George's arm around Hermione in an attempt to keep her warm, and both lost in thought. Their seriousness surrounding them was soon becoming too much for the natural jokester, and their conversation turned to George's new joke ideas and the various victims that had been coming in requesting the reversal spells.

"A-and then… and then he started walking about the store like a chicken!"

Neither noticed the strange looks passersby had been sending them as they struggled to walk and laugh. Hermione had been wiping the tears from her eyes as they turned the corner of street. It felt good to feel so carefree and happy to Hermione. Though she knew she'd always be on the more serious side than most, even Hermione could grow tired of it after a while. '_I missed this,'_ she thought with a chuckle.

As they slowly made their way to the house, Hermione felt herself starting to forget the pain she had been experiencing over the past two months. She missed being with her friends, but seeing them was only serving as a painful reminder of _him_. The less time she spent in their presence, the more she was able to pretend that she actually was moving on. And while she hadn't really spoken to George about the break up or why it was she had drunkenly decided to take her own life, he had been there more for her than her own friends had known how to be.

"Part of me's wondering if you actually find my jokes that entertaining or if you've just had the giggles building up in you for too long!"

This just sent her into another fit of giggles again, tears rolling down the side of her face from all the laughing. They were crossing the sand now to her house, hidden from the local Muggles when she felt George's demeanor change and stop his walking. Hermione ceased walking and turned to him with a curious expression. '_What's he doing now?'_

Hermione turned her head to see what had taken the man beside her from warm to freezing so quickly. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw Harry standing mere feet away from her.

"Why can't I Apparate into your house anymore? And where have you been? I must have sent nearly a dozen owls in the past hour and they've all come back! I couldn't even connect to your floo! And why's George here?!"

Hurt, anger, and confusion flashed across her childhood friend's face, while panic and heartbreak seemed to seep into her very soul. Hermione had certainly not been expecting to see him so soon after the disastrous dinner that had brought her into her current predicament. All of last night's events and emotions came back to her.

Her mouth opened and closed several times, wanting to say something each time and deciding better of it. Her eyes darted back and forth from the man who saved her and the boy who hadn't a clue. She knew she had to tell Harry something, _anything_, to get him away and thinking she was fine.

"Well," she started, a long pausing following after. "Th-the thing i-is… well…"

"Are you seeing George now?!"

Hermione dropped her arms to her sides and rolled her eyes. Sometimes she wondered if it just her best friends that were complete and clueless idiots that were oblivious to various circumstances around them, or if it was a male gene she'd yet to be told of.

"No, you tosser! I'm here because Hermione needed a friend, but you were too busy off in your land of happy endings where everything's fine and everyone's happy to realize that, perhaps, Hermione here was still hurting from that idiot brother of mine breaking her bloody heart!"

Hermione briefly wondered if the facial expression Harry wore now resembled the one she wore earlier that looked too close to a fish for her.

"Maybe if you and my dear sister would pull your faces away from each other for ten minutes you'd know that just because she says she's fine and smiles in your presence doesn't mean she's not screaming on the inside for someone to just _be there_ for her! But I guess it doesn't matter now, does it Harry? Hermione's just startin' to feel better and I refuse to let you come in and remind her of everything she's trying to get over."

"Now, wait just—"

"George, that's enou—"

"So, maybe you should just be on your happily-engaged and merrily fucking way back to your flat in London and leave Hermione alone until she says she's ready to talk to you."George's voice dropped to a dangerous tone as he stepped to stare Harry close in the eyes. "I don't want to have to lay a facer on you, but I'm more than willing to if you don't clear off."

"George!"

"No, Hermione. It's fine." But Hermione could tell it wasn't fine. Harry was too quiet. "You take care, Hermione."

"No! Harry, wai—"

Harry was already gone before she could… explain? Did she really have anything _to_ explain to him? Wasn't everything George said exactly what she had been thinking for the past two months? Hermione could feel a headache growing as she rounded on George for explanations.

"Explain yourself, George Weasley!"

"What?"

"There was absolutely no need to speak to Harry like that or speak at all! I had it all under control and I—"

"Under control? Under control, she says! You were gaping like fish and couldn't even spit out a complete sentence!"

Hermione knew she was gaping again, despite her mental notes to never do it again.

"What? You seriously can't stand there and tell me that what I told him held no truth! If it didn't, he'd be the one standing here with you and not me. Even _he_ knew it was true! Why do you think he left without a fight, Hermione? And _don't_ make excuses for him! I know he's your best mate, 'Mione, but you don't deserve to become second string just because he's happy and doesn't want you bringing him down. That's not fair to you."

She wanted to tell him it wasn't true, that Harry had been helping her through this, and that her friends hadn't stopped caring for her and visited her frequently, but she knew George would cut right through her lies with more truth she couldn't bear to hear. Hermione felt defeated. He was right and there was nothing she could do about it. She hadn't even heard his steps, muffled by the sand, and tensed slightly when he wrapped his arms around her. Hermione brought her own arms around to his back and clutched it.

"It's alright, though!" His voice holding an amused tone she'd come to love hearing over the years. "You've got me!"

Hermione bit back a chuckle in her throat. She felt the relaxed vibe they had earlier itching to come back. Her smile against his chest grew and she let out an annoyed groan. Hermione got exactly the reaction she wanted from him ("Oy!") and looked across the sand to her home.

"What do you say we take a walk before heading back?"

With a simple nod, George placed his arm around Hermione's shoulder that was already shaking from laughter.

* * *

Katie honestly hadn't thought her shift at St. Mungo's would have taken as long as it had; especially considering how many healers had been present that night. Katie sipped her butterbeer as she waited for her take-out order. She knew it was pretty late in the evening and forcing her friends to wait even longer while she cooked them a meal would possibly result in her untimely death. So, before leaving her ward, she sent out an owl to a local restaurant in Diagon Alley for three meals. She had received an owl earlier that evening from George telling her that only they'd be allowed to Apparate directly into the house.

"Here you go love," the old lady behind the counter spoke.

Katie grabbed the brown paper bag from her, said a quick thanks, and left the restaurant. To her left was a small alley way, and Katie decided it would be a great place to Apparate from without anyone bumping into her.

The sight before her would be cataloged in her memory as a pleasant surprise. Hermione's front room had been somewhat reassembled, though lacking much of the décor that had once originally been there. On the couch against the wall to her right sat George at one end with Hermione's sleeping form across the length of the couch, her head on a thin pillow on his lap and his arm across her waist.

The romantic sap within Katie couldn't help but think of just how cute the two looked together. Katie grabbed a blanket from the other room and laid it across Hermione before venturing into the kitchen to put away the meals. _They can eat it for lunch tomorrow._ Katie left a quick note on Hermione's fridge about the food and her promise to stop by tomorrow, if not the following day during her time off. The young healer took one last peek at the sleeping couple before Apparating to her own home.

"Goodnight guys."

* * *

Things were starting to go more smoothly in the house, and soon the two had found a steady rhythm in their routine together. A few days after their confrontation with Harry, George had explained to his mother that Hermione merely needed assistance with redecorating her home and that he would be staying with her for a short time to help with the task. For safe measure, he also told her about the argument to ensure she wouldn't push either of them to show up for family dinners anytime soon. Mrs. Weasley had expressed her concern for Hermione, but was grateful that her son was being there for her with promise to drop of pre-made dishes at the shop every few days for them.

"Hermione? You home?"

George flooed into the cottage after a long day Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and glanced at the coat hanger near the front door to see if Hermione's new cloak was still on its usual hook. Hermione had purchased it a few days ago on a shopping outing with Katie. The cloak was made of thick, black wool fabric and was lined with sheepskin fabric tinted a deep royal blue that helped keep out the winter cold.

It had been nearly two weeks since George had saved Hermione, and just as long since he and Katie had taken over when her other friends had chosen to stay away. Fearing what she'd be like alone, George had opted for temporarily moving into one of her guest rooms until she was able to prove she'd be fine on her own. What had originally been planned as merely a few nights stay had been recently questioned by Katie as a permanent move.

He couldn't lie, though. It was nice to have a live-in companion to fill the silent spaces he alone had desperately tried to fill with The Wizarding Wireless and various background sounds of cooking or experimenting. Katie came over after most shifts to sit with the two and enjoy dinner with company, as well. She had confided in George that she found the same comfort in Hermione's home that she hadn't had in a long time. Their mutual friends were busy with work abroad and starting families. Katie's own had been broken by the War with various deaths and the wounds had yet to heal.

"I'm in my room!" The walls between them muffled Hermione's sweet and chipper voice.

George pushed open the kitchen door and set down the letters and paperwork he needed to fill out that night and owl the next day before backtracking into the living room and down the hall to Hermione. The living room had still yet to be fully redecorated. George smiled at a conversation he and Hermione shared regarding the room a few nights ago.

_"George, you just don't understand. I bought this furniture because it was all a reflection of _me_. It took me _months_ before I was able to decide on these! I can't be expected to just randomly venture through all these catalogs and shops and find exactly what it is I'm looking for within a few minutes._"

_"'Mione, it's just furniture. I bet if you were less attached to the new stuff than you were to these you'd be less likely to destroy them the next time you end a relationship!"_

_"You're incorrigible."_

_"I know."_

He could hear the familiar movement of a wand and spells flying as he entered the room slowly, his own poised to block a stray spell. Just in case.

"Hi!"

'_Oh no. That's never good.'_

One thing George had picked up early on was that the cheerier Hermione sounded the worse her day had gone, making her sound damn near mental as she spoke. '_She must've run into one of 'em at the Ministry.'_

"Hey 'Mione," he drawled out. George decided it was probably in his best interest to leave the door open should he have to run away from her at an alarming speed. He willed his eyes to not train them obviously at her wand. "Whatcha doin', love?"

Hermione turned around to face George. He could see that her knuckles had gone ghostly white and couldn't figure out if her wand was shaking due to her trembling hand or because of the pain of her grip. Hermione's voice was that type of forced happiness, filled with rage, one step from losing her control and demolishing her flat, again, in a piqué of rage.

"Oh, just doing a bit of redecorating in here! Figured it was about time I did. You'll never guess who I ran into today at the café inside the Ministry during my lunch break! Pavatri Patil. You remember her right? The Patil twins? Well, she's best friends with _Lavy_ and just couldn't stop talking about how _well_ things were going between her and _him_. She then proceeded to tell me about how she and Seamus were doing and how they had just gotten married a short while ago after an extremely brief engagement, but that she hadn't invited me because she didn't want to put her guests in an awkward position."

The books behind her shelf had begun to shake themselves free of their holding. Before they had a chance to fall to their doom, George had quietly used a sticking charm he hoped was strong enough to hold against Hermione's rage. He knew that she simply needed to vent out her frustration.

"Then, I start to head out only to find _Lavy_ and _him_ by the fireplaces devouring each other's faces. I promptly made my way back to desk only to discover that that pompous ass, Spritzer, decided to double my workload without clearing it with me first! Honestly, that man thinks he's king of Britain the way he struts about ordering people to do _his_ work and taking all the credit for it, but do any of the managers do anything about it when we confront them? No! Of course not, he's their golden boy! He's their star bloody employee of the century! They just pat us on the shoulder and tell us to try to be more like him!"

By this time, Hermione's voice had reached screaming level but she still retained the smile. Under normal circumstances, George welcomed her smile with open arms as they were rarely present. These particular smiles however, made George want to cower in fear and ask his mum to deal with the raging lunatic before him.

"But none of this took place until after Mister Bloody Potter waltzed into my office and took it upon himself to lean against my desk and announce me as Ginerva's maid of honor. Announced, not asked. Something that self-absorbed brat couldn't have possibly taken ten minutes out of her _very busy_ schedule to do herself."

George was promptly taken aback by this sudden revelation about his only sister. While he knew Ginny was very capable of averting all the attention in the room toward her with a bat of an eye, he didn't think she would have gone so far as to send her fiancée to do something he thought she'd be looking forward to since Harry's proposal nearly six months ago. This was absolutely crossing the line.

"She didn't."

"Oh-ho! But she did!"

Hermione spun quickly in her spot, and in a fit of rage, propelled her wand back behind her Hermione with a spell on the tip of her tongue toward her precious books. Destroying her front room had been one thing, her kitchen had been another, but George knew how much Hermione loved her books. He loved the look she got on her face when she came home to tell him all about the latest additions to her collection. It reminded him so much of when his late twin had run up to him with his latest batch of ideas for practical jokes. George took advantage of her delay in cursing the bookshelf to stun her with a speed that rallied her own on a good day. He caught the young witch just as she was about to fall face first to the floor.

"Great, now what do I do with you?" George glanced about the master bedroom. "Of course! I'll put you on the bed!"

George dragged Hermione's stunned body as best and carefully as he could to her bed. He collapsed into the chair beside her bed that had remained as such for George to sleep on when the occasional nightmare occurred and he had to stay by her side for her to sleep again. He tried to bite back the chuckles that tried to escape at the sight of Hermione doing her best to glare at her attacker without actually being able to squint her eyes.

"You know what I think you need, love? You need to relax and get your mind of those twats. Tell you what, I'll tell you about _my_ day!"

He smirked as he watched her roll her eyes, knowing it was all she could do. In truth, George hadn't spent the time to tell another soul about his day since Fred was alive. Even the few women he had seen and the close friends he had in and out of school had been kept in the dark about what he was up to when lacking the company of others.

So, George proceeded to talk. He spoke to her about the customer who had come in today and ranted about a prank his son pulled, only to turn around and praise him for reopening the shop and bringing laughter back into his home. He told her of the howler he received a few weeks ago from a lady who had just about enough of their pranks sold to the boys in her neighborhood. George even told her about how he had found the prank gift he and Fred were supposed to give Percy a few years ago before it disappeared.

His stories didn't stop there, though. There was a glow about George as he spoke to the frozen girl beside him. It made him feel more alive than he had in years, and although Hermione never responded, he could see the laughter present in her eyes and the change in her demeanor. George paused for a moment while explaining to her the idea behind his latest invention ("I mean, _really_, why should pets be left out of the whole ordeal?") when a gurgling noise broke his concentration. The sky outside had lost most of its light, and the clock on the opposite wall showed that dinner was almost upon them.

"I suppose I should release you so we can get on with dinner, yeah? _Finite_."

George watching as Hermione stood up and shook out her limbs. She had remained quiet and calm, and surprised George with the gentlest hug he had ever received. Her arms wrapped around his waist and flushed against his back, and her head rested comfortably against his chest. He couldn't help but notice how nicely she fit against him as he wrapped his own arms around her and rested his cheek against her head.

"I think you should move in."

His body had muffled her voice, but the words still made their way clearly to his good ear. He involuntarily tensed around her.

"Nah. Wouldn't want me around. Might destroy what we've worked so hard to fix and—"

"I don't feel quite so alone when you're around. You've brought a part of me back to life I hadn't realized was dead." Hermione pulled away slightly before continuing. "You can't tell me that going back to an empty apartment full of heartbreaking memories is truly what you want. And I've got a basement! You can invent to your heart's desire there. It'll be all yours. Please George, at least promise me you'll think about it."

He couldn't deny that he had been dreading the moment Hermione no longer needed him and would be forced to move back. He hadn't changed a thing about the apartment since Fred's passing, couldn't bring himself to it. Everything that existed there was the last bits he had of his twin, yet it hurt to look at it all. Green eyes connected with wide, misting, brown ones. His hands moved from her back up to her shoulders.

'_I shouldn't. I should just go back. Soon, her and those sods will make up and be bloody friends again,' _he told himself. Yet, he couldn't really bring himself to believe those thoughts. His body moved again of its own accord. George watched as his hands moved to cup the sides of Hermione's face.

"I'd love to. Just remember that this small speech will not be forgotten upon the arrival of our first argument over mysterious smells."

Laughter and fights over brightly colored furniture filled the small home for the rest of the night.


	5. A Heavy Heart to Carry

**Chapter 5: A Heavy Heart to Carry**

Hermione pulled her coat tightly against her as she walked through Muggle London alongside George, who had agreed to help her with her Christmas shopping. The holidays were fast approaching. It had been tradition of hers before starting at Hogwarts to shop for Christmas presents at the beginning of December to avoid the holiday rush. Once Hermione had left for school, owls were used to transport letters of present recommendations for various relatives and friends to her mother so they could still feel like the tradition was continuing. Hermione would take advantage of the last Hogsmeade weekend to shop, pretending her mum was there every step of the way.

"So, who are you shopping for today, 'Mione?"

"Katie, you and your family, Lola and Sara at work, and Michael Sprizter. I had the unfortunate luck of picking him for Secret Santa at work. The sod doesn't deserve even coal if you ask me."

Their laughter was lost in the hustle and bustle of the crowd. There was something about shopping in London for Christmas gifts that was held near and dear to Hermione's heart. It warmed her from the inside and set about a sort of peace around her. Everywhere around her were ads for various shops promoting new lines of clothes, gadgets and accessories. This year, she decided to buy everyone on her list one thing from Muggle London and one thing from Diagon Alley, and today would complete the last of her shopping. Hermione was impressed with George for keeping his excitement for this strange land to himself. His control was a welcome and endearing difference to that of his brother's.

Hermione had already planned out her day and the shops she was going to visit. Their first stop was into _Miss Selfridge_ where she would be purchasing a nice outfit for her workmates and Katie. They were currently inside the store as Hermione explained away her recipients. Rummaging through the various racks, she pulled a denim pencil skirt and a blue knit top for Sara, as well as a yellow and cream top and a pair of skinny denims for Lola. Satisfied with her choices, the pair made their way to the cashiers before stopping in front of a silver sequined dress. Hermione knew the dress would be absolutely wonderful on Katie's figure and decided it would be part of her Christmas present. The dress was long and low cut, but would accentuate Katie perfectly.

"I'm surprised that only took fifteen minutes," George said as they exited the store. "I'm usually in a shop for hours with Mum and Gin when I'm dragged off with them."

Hermione chuckled a bit at his observation. "You should know by now that I'm a well-organized individual. I've had my entire shopping list planned out for the past couple of weeks."

A week prior, Katie and Hermione had conversed about possibly having a small Christmas party and inviting a few people each from school and work that they knew. Katie told her it would be a great way for Hermione to expand away from Harry, Ron, and Ginny. While the thought of separating further from her friends had brought a bout of sadness to Hermione, she knew Katie had a point. They wanted it to be semi-formal and have lots of wonderful decorations surrounding the front room. Hermione already knew which people she wanted to invite. Katie excitedly announced would be bring a few Healers from work she had trained alongside of. Though, George had protested the idea of the party at first, the girls' sad faces and insistent persuading had him folding within hours and agreed to invite a few people from school plus Verity. Normally, he would fight the idea of a party tooth and nail, but seeing Hermione getting genuinely excited about anything these days was such a rare occurrence that he knew he had to just grin and bear it.

"I know Katie doesn't have much time to go dress shopping. I figured I'd save her the trouble."

"I think that's very sweet of you. I know she'll appreciate that a lot. She's been bitching my ear off about having to wear a dress from last year."

"I hope so. And don't swear, George, there's children about."

* * *

George and Hermione made their way into Diagon Alley and through the next few people on their lists. For Mr. Weasley, she bought a book explaining electricity and various electronic items, and he had gotten him a new pair of spectacles. Hermione had decided to get George's mum and new set of pots and pans, while George had opted to get her a new set of cleaning supplies to replace the ones he and his siblings had worn out years ago.

"So, what are you planning on buying your parents this Christmas?" George asked as they enter _Flourish & Blotts_. The question caused her pause as she fought to regain control of her heartbeat and scramble for an acceptable answer. Hermione grabbed two gifts sets of quills, personalized parchment, and ink for Lola & Sara, and a set of three exotic bird feather quills for Mr. Sprizter.

"Oh, um," she stuttered. "I'm not exactly sure yet. Nothing too big, I imagine. I'll probably just get them some Muggle things I know they need."

Hermione saw George nod seeming to assume that by "Muggle things" she meant items that were much too complicated for him to understand quickly. Hermione turned her head back to look at the products in front of her before letting out a small and silent sigh. What she didn't see was the strange look George gave at her vague answer, knowing full well that a "well-organized individual" wouldn't just wing it with presents to their parents.

"I'm sure you'll think of something," he told her as she moved towards the register.

The two friends decided to go their separate ways to purchase the other's gift after ticking a few more people off their list. George watched as Hermione walked away disappearing into the crowd before making his way toward the Magical Menagerie. Crookshanks, Hermione's faithful cat, had passed away a few years ago after leading a long and happy life. He knew the passing had been extremely hard on Hermione. Crookshanks went quietly in his sleep one night during a time when most of their group had began to feel like they were healing from the war. Mr. Weasley, after seeing how distraught Hermione had become, offered to bury the beloved pet in the backyard near the garden. After recent events, George felt that getting Hermione a new little friend to love and care for was just the thing she needed.

A bell hovering above the door rang as he walked in and he was instant it with the sound of chirping, barking, meowing and the requests from little ones to get this frog or that bunny. As he walked through the aisles and looked at cage after cage, he began to wonder if he had set himself up for an impossible task, until he spotted the smallest little kitten with the saddest little face he had ever seen. When George squatted in front of his cage to give him a better look, the kitten had let out the smallest of meows (though, you could really have called a squeak).

"Hey, there! You have got to be the cutest little thing in this entire shop."

"He really is a sweetheart, isn't he?"

George didn't even flinch when the shop keep suddenly appeared beside him, despite the lack of hearing. Working with experimental potions and testing pranks on yourself trains a person for a certain bit of tolerance. Her gave the older woman a small small before turning his focus on the small kitten sticking his paw through the grate demanding more attention. The kitten's overall color was almost a silver with charcoal and black colored striping, his little paws white, and his small ears black on the outside. George knew that Hermione would fall in love with the little guy for certain.

"He's a Scottish Fold Kitten, and the runt of his litter. Sold out of all of them in a day, 'cept for him. Their loss though; he was the sweetest of the bunch. Aren't you?"

The little kitten squeaked at her in response and George felt his heart melt at the sound. _'If I'm having this kind of reaction now, I can just imagine how Hermione and Katie are going to be like for the first few weeks. Merlin, what am I getting myself into...'_ George shook his head slightly at his own thoughts as he reached for the sack of galleons he had in his pocket.

"Is it possible to leave him here for a few days? He's a Christmas present for a friend, and I can't hide him anywhere in the meantime."

"Of course," the woman told him. "But it's going to cost you."

* * *

Hermione glanced at store after store, not quite sure where she was going or where she intended to end up. Her mind had been so distracted by George's earlier comment that it had disrupted her calm facade completely. Normally, Hermione was quite good at dodging questions about her parents to even the closest of friends, but it had been rather difficult lying to George. She suspected that he was close to figuring out she was keeping something. _'No, he's dealt with enough loss. He doesn't need to worry about me as well.'_

Coming out of her stupor, the young witch realized she was in front of Broomstix. She took a deep breath to calm herself before stepping in to purchase _The Merlin Wonder_. From listening closely to Katie and George gush about Quidditch, she was able to learn that _The Merlin Wonder_ was a limited edition broom that was coming out just in time for Christmas and was rated by _Quidditch Weekly_ as the broom for the pros. Though she never flew, she knew that her residence was a great spot for scenic flying, and knew George had broken his last broom during an intense game at his family's home a few months prior.

Hermione purchased the broom and placed the shrunken wrapped package in her enchanted purse for safe keeping before heading to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions to have a special tie she purchased for George in London embroidered with his initials and the outline of a top hat hanging from the right arm of the W. She knew that she wouldn't be able to keep this secret to herself much longer, but hoped it would stay her's for just a little bit longer.

* * *

Hermione and George regrouped a short while later and enjoyed the remainder of their afternoon in comfortable silence as they watched the people float from store to store. George paused in front of the floral peddler, looking contemplatingly about purchasing something. It took a few steps before Hermione realized her companion was no longer beside her.

"Would you mind stopping by to see Fred for a bit before we headed home?" George asked her as she stepped beside him.

Hermione's heart skipped a beat as she struggled to find an excuse to give him.

"I know it's a bit of a heavy request, but I promise we won't stay long. It's just that I really want to go, but not alone. I know I should be going with the family, but they just spend the whole time weeping excessively and giving me pitiful looks. There's only so much a bloke can take, you know? We don't have to go, though, if you really don't want to," he said quickly, his eyes to the ground.

Hermione knew from stories she heard that George preferred to visit Fred's grave alone. In fact, this was the most she had heard about Fred during the few months they lived together. Fred's death had been especially hard on him, and who could blame him? To lose a twin was like losing an extension of yourself. It was one wound that time could never heal. The severity of the question weighed heavily on Hermione as she realized the level of trust George was handing to her. While she wanted to avoid a place she found herself spending so much time at as it was, she knew that he needed her, need this, and he had already helped her with so much more than she could ever repay him for. Hermione studied the arrangements before her and picked up a bouquet of Bird of Paradise. She held the flowers close to her nose to enjoy their scent before handing the bouquet to George.

"Bird of Paradise," she spoke as she stared intently at the flowers in her hand. "Symbolizes joyfulness. I think they would be perfect for him."

George handed the florist a few knuts and sickles. Hermione handed the bouquet to George as a silent agreement. He gave her a small smile and held out his arm for her to take. As soon as she grabbed his elbow, she felt the familiar twisting and turning of Apparating before her feet hit the ground in front of the cemetery entrance.

The chilly Scotland wind was a stark difference to the still cold of London. Hermione released her hold on George to wrap her jacket tightly around her and followed him through the wrought-iron gates. Hundreds of headstones laid in perfect rows around her, all victims of the war. After the fall of Voldemort, the Ministry had built this cemetery for the families to bury their loved ones free of charge as an attempt to begin redeeming themselves to the Wizarding Community. Hermione couldn't help herself as she read a few of the names as they walked towards Fred's grave.

George appeared to have the path to Fred's plot memorized. It amazed Hermione; no matter how many times she'd come here before, she would always get twisted around and relied on certain surroundings to guide her way. A few people were scattered here and there laying flowers on gravesites and speaking to head pieces. Not wanting to appear rude, Hermione kept her eyes on only George and the ground before her.

The members of the Order had a special space in the center of the cemetery. Hermione quickly recognized Mad Eye's headstone and regretted not bringing more flowers to lay on their other friends' graves. Not everyone had chosen to bury their dead here, though, as many of the older families had moslems; Tonks and Remus had been buried in the Black family moslem. The Weasleys, however, had chosen to bury him here to honor his battle in the war and his sacrifice for the cause.

Hermione watched as George rounded on Fred's plot and lay the flowers in front of his headstone. She made sure to give him his space and stood beneath a nearby tree that was close enough so he wasn't alone, but far enough so she wasn't invading his privacy.

"Hullo, Forge," George spoke softly. "It's been awhile, hasn't it? Hermione and I were out for a spot of shopping, and I figured this would be a great day to come and visit. I don't quite remember if I told you this last time or not, but I've moved in with Hermione not too long ago. It's nice to be in a house that's not so quiet anymore. Katie practically lives there, too, with how often she comes by and crashes.

"The shop's been doing great lately. Reckon it's due to the holidays. The offer to buy out Zonko's came up again, but I'm not sure we're quite ready for the expansion. I really miss you, Fred. It's just not the same without you, mate."

George cleared his throat and didn't speak for a few moments, too much emotion evident in his voice. Hermione watched as he squatted before the grave again, his voice dropping as he spoke.

"We're having a party on Christmas Eve. Just a few people we all know to come by. It'd be really nice if you, you know, came by and did a prank or something. I'll understand if you don't, but still," his voice trailed off.

He raised in his hands to his lips and patted a goodbye kiss on the headstone before getting up and wiping a few tears from his eyes. Hermione's heart went out to him. She knew what it was like to lose a loved one, and knew how much strength he was using to keep himself together on a daily basis. Not one to stand by, she walked up to George and laid a comforting hand on his back. George took a deep breath and wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his side. Hermione could see the tears slowly falling from his eyes and running down his cheeks without abandon. She wanted to cry with him, but she knew she had to stay strong for him. He needed her just as much as she needed him. George cleared his throat and began rotating them around and begin heading towards the exit.

It was difficult to weave around the awkwardly laid plots while they stayed attached at the side, but they were making due. The other not feeling strong enough to let go just yet. Panic started to set in as she saw the elderly grounds keeper making his way from plot to plot, cleaning up molding flowers and rotting food from various sites. Hermione tried to slowly pick up their pace without causing alarm to George. _'Just a little bit more...'_ she thought, but it was already too late.

"Miss Granger! Miss Granger, it's so good to see you again," the man called out to her.

Hermione felt George stop and look from her to the man and back again in confusion. She knew she had to do something, anything, so she grabbed George's hand and started dragging him behind her as she continued to make her way out the gates.

"It's nice to see you, too! Have a good Christmas," she said over her shoulder with a quick wave. Hermione knew she was being rude, but she couldn't let him out her today of all days.

"You as well, Miss Granger! I'll make sure your parents' grave is kept just the way it is until you come back again, Miss!"

She knew he was only trying to help, reassuring the younger witch who was without family, that she could still find kindness in strangers. She stopped in defeat and dropped George's hand before turning towards him as he made his way to the center area.

"Thank you." Though she meant to yell, her voice came out as barely a whisper.

Hermione couldn't face him yet, couldn't bear to turn and look at the pity and sadness that she was sure would be in his eyes. The shock of having the information out there and in the open left her still in her spot. There's was no holding back the tears at this point.

She flinched as George placed his hand on her upper arm and spoke with his voice thick and his tone serious.

"Where are they, Hermione?"

Too tired to lie, Hermione pointed in the general direction she knew they were located and refused to look him in the eye.

"Come on," he said as he pulled her along. "We're going to see them. Now."

Hermione simply nodded and followed begrudgingly.

It was only a few short minutes before she found herself standing in front of their graves in the Muggle section of the cemetery. It wasn't as fancy or as large as most of the other headstones, but it was theirs and that was bad enough in her opinion.

GRANGER  
William and Mary  
Loving parents & soulmates  
Died July 10, 1997

"What happened?"

His eyes were still trained on their joint headstone, his voice filled with confusion. She couldn't blame him, though. She managed to convince everyone for years that her parents were still alive and was lucky to dodge every invitation for people to see or meet them. For the first 3 years, she would fake holidays abroad and merely sit in her childhood home alone and sob tirelessly for days on end, mourning their loss in private. During the last two years, she just stopped mentioning them at all unless they were brought up first. Christmas Eve was always the hardest on her. While she told the Weasley's that she would be seeing them, those nights were spent at their grave.

"I oblivated their minds the night I left to come to your parents' house. Their memories were modified to make them believe they were someone else and didn't have any children. For added protection, I gave them the idea to move to Australia for a while. From what I've gathered, Death Eaters came the next day and killed them. I tried to save them, but it just wasn't enough. I didn't even know until two weeks after the war had ended. They died believing they were Wendell and Monica Wilkins, without the knowledge that I ever even existed."

"Why did you lie to everyone about it?"

"I didn't lie, I just twisted the truth a bit. You know, for five years," she replied, her voice cracking.

"This is why you tried to kill yourself, isn't it? They died, then Ron left you. When Ginny and Harry never came around to check on you-"

"Ginny sent me letters, but they stopped after the first week. I know Harry would never chose sides, he's always proven that, but when he stopped coming around and only owled me twice I just sort of gave up. That night... I just felt so alone. Then the loneliness felt like it was consuming me, like I'd be alone forever. I just couldn't take it anymore. I had managed to convince myself that I'd have no one there for me ever again. I don't know what would have happened to me if you haven't shown up. Actually, that's a lie; I'd be dead. You saved me."

Hermione paused to wipe a few stray tears from her eyes and look him in the eye. There was no judgement in those eyes; what she saw was understanding, compassion and love. He understood because he'd been there, too.

"I'm not strong like you, George," she breathed.

"No, you're wrong. You're stronger than I'll ever be, love."

Hermione felt as George grabbed her hand and used his other hand to conjure a bouquet of poinsettias to rest in front of their headstone. She felt as he gave her a small kiss on the top of her head as he whispered, "Let's go home."

With a silent nod, the pair turned and walked away from the grave together.


	6. Simple Gestures

**Chapter 6: Simple Gestures**

"Mm. The sauce needs just a spat of salt. Other than that, it's bloody amazing."

"Language," she half-heartedly scolded him. Hermione tasted the remaining sauce on the large wooden spoon.

"Damn, he's right," she muttered to herself.

"Sorry, love," George called out over his shoulder as he exited the kitchen.

Hermione turned her full attention back to the pasta she was fixing for tonight's Christmas Eve dinner party. The pasta sauce was nearly ready, and just in time. Hermione wanted to make sure all the food and decorations were ready by the time Katie was off from work so they could get ready together. Charming the spoon to stir on its own and making sure the burner beneath it stayed just the right temperature, Hermione made her way back into the front room to see how George was faring with the decorations.

It had been nearly three weeks since George had learned about Hermione's most well-kept secret. He had respected her choice to keep silent and understood that she was not ready to make that pain known. Arriving at home that night, Hermione admitted that she knew she would have to tell people at some point, but that was not a bridge she was ready to cross. Instead, Hermione threw herself into decorating their shared space. She and George had managed to agree on furniture and color schemes they both liked for the living room just two weeks ago. George insisted that Hermione only buy furniture she wanted, but she wanted his input as well.

_"Its like you said, George," _she had explained rationally. _"If I'm not as emotionally invested I might be less likely to destroy it."_

The room's walls were repainted a pure white the Muggle way, at Hermione's request. The furniture chosen was navy with a white trim with white wood accents, creating the perfect image for a cottage bungalow.

The sight before her amazed her. George had hung three white stockings on the fireplace, each personalized with their names. The Christmas tree stood tall at eight feet in the corner of the living room that once housed the damaged chair, and was decorated top to bottom with clear, ivory, gold, light blue and navy ornaments of all shapes and sizes. White lights and silver tinsel were spread throughout the branches and all that was amiss was the tree topper. Hermione, George and Katie had even hung a few ornaments they favored from their childhood. Presents were already under the tree from before, but made the room look even more festive now that the tree was decorated. A long table had been conjured and placed along one of the walls to hold food, plates, drinks, and even more decorations.

"George— I— this! It's amazing!" Hermione sputtered, moving in a slow circle to take it all in. George stood next to the fireplace, watching Hermione's face glow with excitement.

"Well, thank you. I like to think I've got years of experience in this department, made easy by the use of magic! I was waiting for you to finish in the kitchen so you could put the star at the top. It's a new WWW invention I'm thinking of releasing next Christmas!"

Hermione let out a small chuckle before moving towards George and engulfing him in a hug. She loved how he always managed to keep a smile on her face.

_"I like your smile. It'd be a crime to never show it," _he told her once.

"As long as it doesn't blow up the tree—"

"It won't! Promise! It's actually quite nice. I think you'll enjoy it," he chuckled.

Hermione gave a short nod and took the large gold star from his hands. With a tap of her wand, Hermione floated the star to the top and gently eased it onto the top of the tree. The star illuminated for a second and soon small streams of snow were projected from the points onto the tree, but evaporated halfway down.

"The snow's real and charmed to disappear three feet from the star. It'll only be useful on trees four feet to ten feet tall."

"I think its absolutely wonderful, George. Really, it is. It will be a hit next Christmas for sure."

A crackling in the fireplace grew louder behind them and soon the fireplace was enlarged enough for Katie to step through gracefully. Katie brushed off a few specs of soot that appeared on her healer's robes and stepped out onto the floor. She erupted in excitement and laughter over the look of the living room in its festive wears, complementing George in the process. The three friends caught up on the day's events and the plan for tonight before Hermione whisked away a giggling Katie to get ready for the party.

"George, you should be getting ready as well! The guests will arrive here any minute and you can't be seen in those rags," Katie yelled from the hallway.

"You two just _had _to make it a formal affair, didn't you?" George shook his head and rubbed his face with his hands before heading to his own room to change.

"Hermione, you didn't have to do this! I've got an old dress I can wear instead," her friend told her as she pulled the dress out of its wrapped package.

"Nonsense. I wanted to. You and George have done so much for me these past couple of months. I honestly don't want to know how I'd be if I didn't have you two here. Besides, you've had nearly no free time other than to come over to eat dinner with us and sleep. Now will you please just accept your Christmas present already?"

"Alright," Katie gave her a quick hug and headed for the bathroom. "I suppose since I can't talk you out of it I might as well appreciate the gift and wear it. Oh, Hermione, you really are too much sometimes!"

Hermione moved to her armoire to pull out her own dress and changed into it. After pulling up the zipper and putting on her shoes, she stared at herself in her full-length mirror. The dress, she inwardly noted, had been completely Ginny's idea during a shopping adventure two years ago. While Hermione had no use and no desire for it then, she was grateful she held onto it regardless. Her hands smoothed over the material from her chest to her thighs to enjoy the feeling of the fabric and to make sure it sat just the right way on her.

The top of the dress held a plethora of multi-colored lines that connected to a thin piece of light blue material just under the bust. The light blue connect to a navy and white modern floral designed material, then to a dark brown with a light blue ruffle at the end. Hermione turned left and right and admired how the dress seemed to float on her. She hadn't even tried it on in the stores dressing rooms because Ginny had insisted "it needn't be done."

"It's gorgeous!" Hermione heard Katie exclaim from inside her bathroom. "Oh Hermione, you've outdone yourself. This is wonderful! I feel so chic and gorgeous in it!"

"Good! You deserve it, Katie. You truly do. Happy Christmas!"

Katie opened the door and rushed into the room, charging at Hermione. Hermione looked at her confused when she felt herself be moved at arm's length away from the older girl. Another look of shocked appeared on her face.

"Holy shite, 'Mione! I'm jealous! Oh, you look stunning! Turn around, turn around!"

Hermione laughed as she felt herself be forcibly twirled on the spot. After the first full turn, she moved a little ways away and jokingly modeled the dress for Katie. She ignored the small pang in her heart as it remembered days when she'd bring Ginny into Muggle London or they'd shop in various Wizarding communities' shopping districts and model the best and worst outfits in the store.

"I don't think stunning begins to describe it."

Her heart caught in her throat as she looked to the door she hadn't known opened. Hermione missed the look Katie gave George as he walked in and gave both girls a kiss on the cheek, but did notice his hand linger on her back just a second longer than usual. A small shiver ran down her arms she excused on the temperature in the room. George donned just a dress shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows and black dress slacks, his blue tie hung loosely around his neck.

"You girls look absolutely wonderful. If I had known we were gonna get _this _fancy, I think I would have bought a better cloak. They're going to wonder why you shacked up with a Knockturn alley-cat, love," he laughed.

"Oh, George! I nearly forgot," Hermione reached for a small package on her bed and handed it to George. "Just a little something for you, too. I wanted you to have this early so you could wear it tonight! But don't worry; you guys will have _actual_Christmas presents to open tomorrow morning as well."

Both girls watched as George opened his present. Buried underneath sheets of tissue laid a fine silk tie, its hue matching that of his WWW uniform, that Hermione had specially embroidered earlier in the month. George fingered it with a look of awe on evident on his face.

"Merlin, 'Mione, I don't know what to say! Thank you!"

George gave her a sound kiss on the cheek before lifting her off the ground and spinning her. Katie laughed at the antics of her two friends, but was cut off by the sound of their first guests arriving within the Apparation limits of the house. George carefully place Hermione on the ground and received a playful smack on the arm for messing up her dress.

"I suppose we should let them in, yeah?" Katie called to them from the hallway.

Hermione linked her arm in George's and the two followed her out. She took in a deep breath and felt the excitement building within her. Hermione's eyes shot open and halted him before going out to greet their guests. George paused next to her, his face etched with concern.

"What is it, 'Mione?"

"You and Lee better not spike the punch, George Weasley!"

George's hearty chuckle echoed in the hallway until it was drowned out by the sounds of conversation and laughter coming through the front door.

* * *

"So, you and Hermione, eh?" Lee yelled into his good ear.

The party had been on for a good few hours. The guests had all had their fill of food and were currently dancing to the loud music and enjoying drinks. Lee, Alicia, and Oliver had been the only guests of George who were able to attend tonight's events. The four friends plus Katie were gathered near the drinks and taking a break from the socializing and dancing. Katie had let out a small chuckle at Lee's question that was lost under the loud music.

"Just what are you implying, Lee?" George was just slightly upset about hearing about supposed feelings growing between him and his new roommate. '_I'm hearing it enough from Katie, I don't need it from these guys as well.'_

Alicia had spoken to him, but most of the words were lost. He cut her off half-way to move closer so she could speak directly into his remaining ear.

"All we're trying to say is that the two of you look pretty close and cozy. We never thought Hermione would be the type you'd go after."

"I'm not 'going after' her. I really don't understand why you lot are insisting that I've got some deep desire for Hermione!" George retaliated.

Having enough of this conversation, George refilled his drink and made his way outside. He could feel the eyes of his friends on him, but ignored them as best he could and hoped it would be enough to say he wanted to be alone.

George stepped outside onto the porch. He was shielded from the rain by the new roofing he had insisted be put in and began to feel relaxed. It was times like this that he realized just how much of a hassle having one ear was. Nearly every sentence had to be repeated and screamed into his remaining ear, and even then they came in as broken sentences under the loud music. He'd long since stopped looking for the flashes of annoyance and pity, but he couldn't help himself tonight.  
It felt surreal for him to be here at the party; he hadn't been to one in so long, he'd forgotten what it was like. Sure, he'd gone out with friends or stayed in with them and enjoyed the evening, but tonight was the first time he'd really partied without Fred. Despite being outside, the air around him felt like it was slowly draining the life out of him. George drank some more of his firewhiskey with one hand and loosened the tie around his neck with the other. '_They just _had _to make this a formal affair, didn't they?'_

His thoughts ran back towards the party inside. Never known to mingle alone, he'd attached himself to Hermione's hip as she went around to the different groups and conversed with them all. He had justified it as two roommates working the room together - as good hosts always should - but they both knew the truth. George was grateful that it was her that he had by his side. He truly didn't think anyone else would get it.

"I thought I'd find you out here."

So lost in his thoughts he was that he never heard the sound of the new french doors that lead out to the space, nor the music that sliced through the silence around him.

"Just needed some air is all." '_Well, that's mostly the truth.'_

He saw her nod and direct her attention toward the pouring rain. He took a quick glance backwards and saw that the shades in front of the door had been redrawn, leaving them completely alone. The porch started to heat up slightly and caught Hermione tucking her wand away under her dress to a holster on her thigh.

"Want to tell me why you're really out here or would you rather I guess?"

Her voice was soft and barely audible over the rain, but he knew she added extra volume specifically for him. George's hand went from his tie to the railing to keep from subconsciously touching his face. The last thing he wanted was to bring Hermione down from the happiness he saw her emitting all night inside, but knew she'd be worse off if he simply told her it was nothing. Even more so, he didn't want to keep it from her. Hermione had become his confidant and he relied on her to feel connect to reality.

"It's a few things, actually. This is the first real party I've been to without Fred, family gatherings and nights with friends aside. Sort of weird without him here to work the room with, and I'm still not quite used to it."

Something gripped his arm and he was turned slightly to face his companion. She removed the glass from his hand and set it on one of the small side tables on the porch before turning back to him. A part of George thought she was going to shake him or grip his arms, but just watched as she crossed her arms in front of her. There was just the slightest twinge of disappointment that barely registered its existence to him.

"Go on."

"And then there's my ear," his voice began to elevate from irritation. "I can't hear a fucking word anyone in there is saying over the bloody music and I'm tired of the pity. They're getting tired of repeating themselves and I'm tired of asking them."

He knew Hermione was letting his swearing go without lecture this once, and he was glad of it. The last thing he wanted was to take out his frustrations on her because he couldn't hold his anger in check. He rubbed his hands over his face, and then placed them into his pockets.

"Don't stay out here on my accord. Please, go back in and enjoy yourself. You deserve it."

George grabbed his drink off the table and took a small sip before turning back towards the rain. He listened for movement from Hermione, but all he got was silence in return. It was another moment before she finally spoke to him, and by then he was already two-thirds of the way through his drink.

"I'm sorry. It's my fault really. I should have thought to make sure the music wasn't that loud, but I completely forgot about how hard it might be for you to hear." He was about to cut her off, not wanting her to take guilt when it wasn't necessary, but she continued and spoke over him. "I should have you know, though, that many women in there have been requesting information on your status. You know, whether you're single or dating or even looking. Despite not having Fred around, you've managed to charm your way through to every single female in the room."

"It's the ol' Weasley charm, Hermione. You can't just turn off good looks and great personality. It would be a sin," he laughed.

He watched as her hand brushed up against his face. Hers were soft and small compared to the large, rough ones that had been there just moments before. Her thumb moved back and forth across his cheek and he felt like it was calling to him, begging him to relax and to trust her with everything. He moved into her palm. She was the only one allowed to touch him, the only one allowed to know about his thoughts and feelings. He couldn't trust anyone else.

Her hand shifted, and he feared she was removing it until he felt it move further back to scarred skin. Instinctively, he tried to move out of her touch, but she merely followed. It was weird to have someone else's hand touching that part of his face. He had grown out his ginger locks to cover up the damage so Fred and he couldn't be told apart, and kept its length long after Fred's passing. The healers had done an amazing job at removing much of the scar tissue and trying to get the surface as smooth as possible. George eventually gave up on the reconstruction as he knew that he would never been the same. A part of him wanted to keep the scars as a reminder of how different he and Fred looked in the end to help him keep looking at himself in mirrors for years to come. It helped, but only a little.

"Don't run because of this. We've all got our scars, whether on the surface or buried deep within our hearts. Hearing is overrated anyways," she joked, using his own line from a few days before.

The pads of her fingers grazed over the skin before trailing to the back of his head, down to his neck, and onto his shoulder. He fought hard against the chill that wanted to sprinkle down his spine. Without another word, Hermione smiled and went back inside to leave George in silence with his thoughts once more.

_'Stop it! Stop that right now! This is the last thing she wants or needs. Control yourself. Besides, this is bloody Granger. You're lucky Fred isn't here right now. You'd never live this down. It's just because she touched your scar. Merlin, now you probably sound like Potter. Probably the alcohol talking. That dress isn't helping matters much.'_

His thoughts continued on trying to justify his growing feelings, but even he wasn't as daft as to not see what was really going on here. She made him feel whole again, made him feel alive again. She had always been a challenge to him in their youth, but now she was challenging him in more ways that just rule abiding. They managed to open up to each other in ways they couldn't with anyone else. When he told her of a new product she'd be right there helping him improve it. When he wanted to sit in front of the fire and do his usually drinking-your-cares-away routine, she'd sit down beside him and distract him before he even had a chance to protest. On the rare terrible day, she'd even join him in a drink or two. In just one month, she had filled a hole inside of him he was sure would have remained completely empty until the day he left this blasted life and returned to his twin.

Now that he had it, George wasn't sure he'd ever be able to let that go.

* * *

Katie watched the rolling blinds unravel down the doors as she watched Hermione sneak out to see George and let out a small huff.

"Those two," Lee muttered as he shook his head and he stepped beside her.

Katie crossed her arms and continued to stare at the doors. _'What is wrong with those two? They are two of the most observant people in the world, with the most twistedly brilliant minds, and they can't even see just how insanely attached they've become to each other. I'm really going to have my work cut out for me with this one.'_

"You do realize I can't hear conversations that are internal, right?"

She gave him a quick look before gazing back at the doors.

"You're not going to let this one lie, are you?"

Katie continued to remain silent as she turned on her heels and headed for the kitchen. She could sense that Lee was right on her heels, but she didn't have time to pay attention. No, Katie was on a mission and she couldn't wait for anyone. She threw back the curtains of the kitchen window as she heard the doors behind her swing to a close.

"I have to figure out a way to get the two of them to see that they're clearly falling in love with each other," she decided, looking at the private moment between the two. "And you're going to help me."

"If you find it hard to laugh at yourself, I'd be happy to do it for you."

"I'm serious, Lee."

"I am, too! You're clearly delusional if you think the two of them are going to fall for any of your plans. They're way too smart for that and, together, they'd see right through anything you would set up instantly."

"That's why I need your help."

Katie left her view at the window to join Lee at the table. She thought back to the moments she had witnessed between two. Times when they would fall asleep on the couch while reading or doing work they had to bring home. Their desks had begun to collect dust from their lack of use. While she knew it should bothered her, her heart warmed whenever the two would get locked in a conversation together and seemed to forget anyone else was in the room. The last time she had seen the two so lively was when they were all still in Hogwarts, the twins in one corner scheming and the Golden Trio near the fire having a laugh.

"Where there's a will, there's a way," she said mischievously.

"Well, there's always a way, but it usually doesn't work."

Katie tried her best to glare at him, but what having a difficult time suppressing the growing smile on her lips. Knock her down as he might, she knew that Lee was just as tired of seeing a moping George as she was. He had to deal with more moody days and sporadic outbursts of anger than anyone else in their group as Lee had offered to join his close friend at his shop to hell with rebuilding and product production after Fred's passing. He knew that his friend was in pain and didn't truly mean anything he said.

What remained of their group after the war had been discussing George's attitude change since moving in with Hermione. Katie had a difficult time with trying to explain to their friends exactly how and why their rooming situation came to be. While the girls had immediately jumped to conclusions of secret affairs, the boys knew George would never do that to his brother. Katie had merely told them that Hermione was deeply distraught about the ending of her long-term relationship with old Ronald and George was the only one who had time to help fix her, in turn giving him something else to focus on aside from wallowing in his own self pity. Which wasn't completely untrue, when she really thought about it.

Over the past several weeks, they had all seen a significant growth in George's attitude that was very much welcomed. The girls went back to gushing about how adorable of a couple the two would make while the boys would argue that Hermione would figure out some way to undermine his job and destroy the store. Being a realist, Katie found herself having a difficult time with participating in the secret conversations they had because she wasn't quite sure where they were headed herself. While she knew that they needed each other for emotional support, it wasn't until two weeks ago that she realized just how well the two fit together. _'It's amazing how much things can change in a matter of weeks,'_she contemplated. Katie stood back up and walked back to the window to stare at at the couple outside, this time dragging Lee behind her. Seeing Hermione raise her hand to touch George's face made Lee and Katie take a step back in shock, wide eyes snapping from the couple to each other.

"Now do you see?" Katie exclaimed, grabbing and jerking Lee's arm in excitement.

"Yes, you bloody crazy woman! Now let go of my arm before you rip it off my body," he laughed.

"He's never let anyone touch his face before, even his mother! That's a sign, Lee. It's a sign that this will happen whether we help or not-"

"So we might as well help-"

"Because what kind of friends would we be of George's if we didn't at least try to meddle in his life."

"Clearly terrible ones, from the sounds of it. Fine. You have my help. What's the first plan?"

Katie moved to close the curtains to the window slowly as to not alert an unknowing George that he was being spied on. She knew that this plan would have to be simple and subtle. It was unspoken between the two that the other members of their group could not be trusted to aid in this endeavour, and would thus be left in the dark. No, this plan would need to be low key. They could only guide them rather than push them into each other's arms. _'It's amazing how their lives are almost already set up for the fall, they just need a little guidance to the edge.'_

"First," Katie said with a sparkle in her eye, "we get them alone for New Year's. Didn't you have an aunt in Bristol you needed to see that night?"


	7. Oh, Holy Night

**Chapter 7: Oh, Holy Night**

Christmas day had snuck up on the residents of the small house on the beach. Mrs. Weasley had excused Hermione from the Christmas celebration at The Burrow, having been updated on the situation between her, Ron and Harry. She had also allowed George to skip out on the festivities knowing that he was trying to be there for Hermione, but made them both promise that at least one of them would be there for Christmas dinner. Mrs. Weasley had reassured Hermione that both Harry and Ron had to work that night and that Lavender would be joining her parents for all of Christmas Day.

George stretched his long limbs and cursed as his hands connected with the wall above his head. He had lived there for just over a month, but hadn't changed a thing about the room's decoration feeling too lazy to do anything and too shy incase Hermione was attached to the way the room looked. George looked at the clock on the adjacent wall and groaned at the time. He hadn't gotten too much sleep the night before. George had put off wrapping his gifts for Katie and Hermione until last night and was ultimately regretting it.

A soft knocking at his door pulled him from his thoughts and brought him further to consciousness. The door opened slightly and two heads emerged through the opening.

"George?"

"You up already, you lazy sod?"

"Katie!"

Hermione laughed at Katie's comment and opened the door further at hearing George's incoherent grunt as he threw the covers over his head and attempted to bury himself further under the sheets. The girls smiled at each other before rushing at George's bed, and pouncing on top of it and catching him completely off guard.

"Bloody hell, are you women bonkers? Trying to give me a heart attack, and on Christmas no less!"

"Well, that's what you get for not being up already! We've been awake for nearly thirty minutes waiting for you to coming rushing into the living room with all that Weasley enthusiasm!"

Hermione and Katie grabbed George's arms and pulled him from his bed. He was vaguely glad that the colder weather demanded more sleepwear from him, though he still felt a bit self-conscious being in a white tank and long sleep bottoms in front of Hermione. '_Hell, George, it's not like she hasn't seen less having lived with Ron and Harry for as long as she did.'_

The number of presents under the tree seemed to have grown overnight. Three mugs of hot chocolate, a small bowl of marshmallows, and a can of whipped cream awaited them at the small coffee table.

Katie, George and Hermione were gathered on the floor in front of the tree and started separating the presents. The three friends took turns tearing into them, announcing who they were from. They opted for unwrapping the presents first from friends and family before opening their gifts from each other. Katie started off the festivities first by opening the presents she got from her distant family members and co-workers.

George gave his friend a gentle hug when she began tearing up at missing her parents and younger sister who had been killed during the war. The holiday season was always hardest on those who had survived the war; it was hard not to remember those who had fallen. George knew that Hermione wanted to tell Katie about her parents having been killed as well, but she still wasn't ready to share that information. Katie had become the older sister that Hermione always wish she had, and he knew that Katie felt the same about the younger girl. Hermione had suggested the three of them spend the holiday morning with just the three of them. Agreeing that having a quiet event at the cottage sounded much more relaxing than spending it alone, Katie made sure to bring all of her things early, including some ornaments and decorations that were sacred to her.

Katie was in the middle of explaining who the different people were while Hermione cleared up the wrapping paper for more space, when the familiar tapping of an owl's beak at the kitchen window interrupted her.

"Are you expecting any orders today, George?" Hermione asked him.

"Not that I know of. I was sure all of the owls knew not to deliver any here until tomorrow." George watched Hermione's form disappear into the kitchen. "Hey! Maybe we'll get lucky and its Mum telling us Gin won't be at the dinner tonight either! Or better yet, that we don't have to go at all."

Katie playfully smacked George before he got up to finish putting the trash in the garbage bag for her. Hermione made her way back into the room with several parcels in her arms. George got up and maneuvered around the scattered presents to help her with the packages and the two resumed their seat beside each other on the floor against the couch. George lifted the top box and looked at the attached letter.

_Dear George & Hermione,_

_Happy Christmas, loves. Hope you're enjoying this lovely morning and eating lots! I know you  
__wanted to avoid these two as much as possible today, but they really wanted to send you your  
__gifts this morning and I just didn't have the heart to stop them. Ginny said she wants to wait  
__until you come for dinner tonight to open hers with the rest of ours. I believe Ronald and  
__Harry placed a letter to you in the largest package, Hermione. Do give them a chance, dears. _

_And tell Katie that she absolutely __**must **__join us tonight for dinner!_

_Love, Mum_

George exchanged a knowing look with his roommate before handing her the letter to read with Katie.

"Well, might as well sort them out and open them with the rest of this lot," he grumbled as he shifted through the boxes.

George wasn't that surprised at the gifts he and Hermione had received from his brother and soon-to-be brother-in-law. Potion supplies and tools for him, and more books for Hermione's library (two of which she'd already owned). He watched out of the corner of his eye for the letter his mum had talked about. There was a nice green wax seal on the parchment and Harry's handwriting on the outside. What threw him off was watching her toss it into the garbage bag with the wrapping paper and boxes of previously opened presents.

"I don't really care what they have to say. It obviously isn't that important if they've chosen to give me fail-proof gifts and couldn't even tell me what they truly wanted to say in person. That's my final decision."

There was a tone of strength in her voice George hadn't heard in a long time. Her eyes shown determination and power. A grin crept onto his face when she had a bit of that Prefect tone he had grown so accustomed to hearing from her in their school days. A small part of George couldn't help but relish in the fact that he helped bring that part of Hermione back. '_It's taking time, but she's healing quite right.'_They continued their way through the gifts, though with slightly less enthusiasm as they had started out with.

After one more garbage break, which also left enough time for drink refills, the three friends finally got down to the gifts they had gotten each other. George couldn't help but feel the excitement for their joint gift to Katie. After much talk, it was decided that it was silly for Katie to be wasting her hard-earned money on rent for a flat she rarely ever used. If she wasn't at St. Mungo's she was at the cottage, and if she wasn't at the cottage she could be found shopping or just plain gallivanting about with he and Hermione.

"What's this?"

The look of bewilderment on Katie's face broke them both into a fit of laughter.

"Last time I checked that was a _key_."

Laughing, Katie took the small box the key came in and chucked it at George. After a few minutes of playful banter between the two, Hermione turned to Katie with seriousness written all over her face.

"It's your key to the house. I've already changed the protection charms on the house to allow you access whenever you please. We'd like you to live here with us." Hermione kept talking over Katie's apparent attempt at protesting the offer. "It's ridiculous for you to pay rent when you practically live here. I won't charge you rent because the house is paid off and I don't need the money. All you'll have to do is chip in for the groceries. That's all. You'll be in the last spare room across the hall. Oh, please say yes, Katie!"

George knew Katie wouldn't say no. They had become close friends in the past few months and Katie had previously admitted to feeling happier now than she had been in a long time.

"Yes! Thank you so much you guys!"

Katie leaned over to give a quick hug to George and Hermione. Her smile was infectious to her new roommates. George watched as Katie sat back down and grabbed two wrapped boxes and stretch her arms out, handing one to each of them.

"Happy Christmas, you two!"

They excitedly grabbed the presents from her hand and began to tear the wrapping off. George paused before opening his box to see what Hermione had received. As she lifted the corners of the tissue, Hermione pulled out a pair of silver glitter heels.

"Oh, Katie, these are beautiful."

George instantly recognized the shoes as being a part of the WonderWitch product line that were added last year, by Ginny's request.

"They're Colour Changing Court Shoes," she explained. "The shape and the heel size stay the same, but the outside of the shoes are charmed to perfectly coordinate with whatever outfit you wear. I got you the two-inch heel. I know you don't wear these types of shoes very often, so I figured these would be perfect for you!"

"That was extremely thoughtful, Katie. I absolutely love them!"

"Well, go on! Try them out!"

Hermione moved from her space on the floor to the couch and slid her slippers off. Gently grabbing the shoes, she placed them on her feet. As she uncrossed her leg to stand up, one of her shoes fell off and onto the floor. On impulse, George picked up the shoe and placed it gently on her foot.

"Well, aren't you a regular Cinderella!"

George gave Katie a confused look before turning his head to Hermione in a silent request for explanation. A small blush crept on her cheeks as she shook her head and giggled nervously. George become irritated when he realized had missed some kind of Muggle reference.

"What's a Cinderella?"

"Never you mind. Just open your present already!" Hermione half-heartedly scolded.

George laughed as he opened his box, only half paying attention as he kept glancing over at Hermione as the two girls ogled at how she looked in the shoes. Mind you, he paid no particular attention to what witches wore specifically, but he had to agree that the shoes looked great on her. Hermione had her pant legs rolled up to her knees to get a better look at the shoes on her feet and watched as she rotated her feet this way and that. The shoes had somehow managed to make her legs look almost creamy and touchable, their appearance changing to a glittery silver to match the Christmas themed pajamas she donned. In the back of his mind, he wondered if there was a little extra something in the way the shoes were charmed. His mind jerked back to focus on his present has his hand touched leathery and smooth.

"No way," he breathed.

George pulled out a set of dragonhide quidditch gear. The aroma of the fresh leather tickled his senses. He couldn't help himself as he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. Eagerly, he made quick work of pulling out the remaining pieces. He was so excited about his new gear that it barely registered when they heard a loud thump as the box hit the floor. The girls giggled at him as he reached into the box and pulled out a new Beater bat. George grabbed the bat and jumped up, giving the bat a few strong swings to test it out. His cheeks started to hurt from how big his smile was. The girls backed away in fear of getting hit and reprimanded him for being so reckless.

"This is bloody amazing! Thank you, Katie!"

"You're welcome, wanker."

George placed his present on the couch and jogged to his room.

"You guys wait here while I get your presents! I forgot them in my room last night."

He made quick work of dropping to the floor to grab the presents from under his bed. Katie's was wrapped haphazardly, even with the help of magic, and Hermione's would be presented to her in a Muggle magician's hat. George slid the doors to his closet open and reached for the small cage in the back. The softest little meow was heard as the kitten was caught off guard by the cage moving suddenly.

"Time to make your big debut, little guy. Your new mum is going to be really excited about you, so be sure to meow a lot when I pull you out. Got it?"

The kitten meowed at George again and he took it as him agreeing to the plan. Gently, he lowered the kitten into the charmed magician hat and placed it on his head. Grabbing the magic cape and fake wand from the closet, George ran back into the living room and handed Katie her gift first. Katie laughed heartedly as she grabbed the present from his hands.

"Shut it. You know I'm pits when it comes to wrapping. Just open it. And you're welcome, by the way."

"Oh, I'm not laughing about that. That I expect regardless of the occasion. What I'm laughing about is that ridiculous thing on your head."

The next thing anyone heard was Katie's enthusiastic screaming filling the cottage. Jumping up and down as she waved the tickets in the air, Katie launched herself at George and engulfed him in a tight hug. George vaguely began to wonder if she had been taking lessons from his mother as he started losing oxygen.

"THIS IS THE BEST CHRISTMAS, EVER!" She screamed, doing a small dance.

"The best is still yet to come, as Hermione dearest has yet to receive her Christmas present from me."

George patted to the cleanest spot on the couch nearest to him and began his act. He pulled out the fake wands and raised his eyebrows, waving the wand around as if he was preparing to a magic trick. Disappointed when the girls just continued to sit and stare at him, he decided to help them build up the excitement.

"Play along," he muttered under his breath.

Catching on, the girls ooh'ed and ahh'd as he made dramatic gestures, and laughing when he began twirling around in odd patterns around them.

"Oy! Hurry the magic trick up, you sot! I'm hungry!"

"Fine, kill all of my fun," he grumbled. George did a quick, random spin in his spot and gave the girls what he thought was a serious, yet mysterious, facial expression.

"Whatever look you were going for, you missed," Katie pointed out.

Giving her a quick glare, George snapped back to his "magician" face and gently removed the hat from his head. He slow turned the hat back over and wave his hand over the brim. He thrusted his hand into the hat, reaching deep down feeling for its contents.

"Ah, there it is," he said as he quickly removed the kitten from the hat.

George discarded the hat to the floor and held the kitten in both hands in front of Hermione's face.

"Happy Christmas, Hermione," he spoke softly.

The look on her face was of pure happiness as she took the meowing kitten from his hands and cuddled it closely. Both girls remained speechless as they looked at the kitten in shock. Hermione stood up and cradled the kitten in one hand and pulled George in for a hug with the other.

"This truly is the best Christmas ever, George," she whispered in his ear. "Thank you so much."

The soft kiss she placed on his cheek as she pulled away felt like it was burning an imprint on his skin. He didn't have to look at Katie to see the knowing look she had on her face and he wasn't about to justify it with any kind of response. Instead, he chose to sit on the couch as he watched the girls play with Hermione's new furry friend on the floor.

"What are you going to name him, 'Mione?" Katie asked her.

"Hmm, that's a good question."

Hermione looked at the kitten with a puzzled expression. _'She's probably testing the names out in her head. Knowing her, it'll probably named after some character in one of her books.'_The trio seemed to be lost in their thoughts, not quite watching what the kitten was doing as they heard a loud bang behind them. Apparently, the kitten had chosen that moment to try and steal a few sips of the hot cocoa that had since gone cold. Instead, he knocked over the cup onto his little head and spilled the contents all over the table and himself. The group erupted in laughter as Hermione mutter a few spells to clean him up. A few moments of silence passed before she spoke again.

"I'd like to name him Gred, if that's alright with you, George."

While there was a small sting in his chest from hearing the familiar nickname Fred had given him so long ago, he felt honored to know that Hermione wanted to use it for the cat. He could feel the blush spread throughout his ears and was thankful for his long locks.

"I think that would be great. What do you think, Gred?"

"_Meow_," Gred replied.

"Oh, I almost forgot about your present, George!"

"But, I thought the tie was my gift?"

George watched as Hermione reached behind the tree to pull out a very long box. He could help but get excited over having the largest present in the pile. Growing up in such a large family, it wasn't very often George got to see presents like the ones he opened this morning. Unable to contain himself, George tore at the box with reckless abandon and lost his breath when he found the most beautiful broom he had ever seen inside of the box.

"Well? What do you think? Katie and I had an idea to get you all new quiddi- George? Where are you going?"

George had grabbed the broom out of the box, and without another word to the girls, made his way to the french doors and swung them open. He mounted the broom and kicked off the ground at full speed, the fastest he had ever flown. The last thing the girls heard was George wooing as he faded away into the distance.

"Well, I guess that means we did well."

* * *

This Christmas at the Burrow was by far the strangest yet. The level of awkwardness in the house was greater than it had been in Hermione's fourth year, when Molly had accused her for being a scarlet woman when the rumors of her "torrid love affair" with Harry was front page news. It even managed to surpass the level of awkwardness of the Christmas after Fred's death when no one knew how to act or what to say around Molly and George. Hermione truly didn't think it was humanly possible.

Luckily, Molly had busied them with so many dinner preparation tasks that they hardly had time to dwell on the fact. Katie and Percy were asked to prep the dinner table place settings, while Hermione and George moved around the floating silverware and plates to set the food for everyone. Hermione looked around the bustling kitchen. Bill was already seated at the table, struggling to get a fussy Victoire into a chair next to Fleur. Charlie was on a special assignment to assist with the migration of a herd of dragons and couldn't make it back in time to celebrate with the family this year. Andromeda had brought Teddy over for the day and was helping him into his chair beside Victoire. Once he was settled in, the two children began laughing as Teddy changed his hair to match the Christmas garland decorated in the kitchen. Ginny settled quietly into the seat beside Andromeda.

Once all was in place on the table, Molly rushed everyone left standing to their seats. George took the seat beside his mother, who was seat at the head of the table, while Arthur had seated himself at the opposite end. Percy planted himself beside his father and chatted him up about the latest happenings at the Ministry, leaving Hermione and Katie to sit between the two. The Weasleys and extended family made haste of digging into Molly's delicious home cooking.

A smile crept onto Hermione's face as she observed the people around her. Despite it all, everything felt quite normal. No one was arguing, a few bursts of laughter would happen here and there, and there was never a dull moment in conversation. Before she was able to relish in the feeling, Hermione's heart sank a bit into her stomach as she reality started to sink in and she remembered that this sense of normality wasn't real. She was still angry with her friends, and her parents and many of their friends were still dead, as well. George turned his head to look at her, seeming to sense her tense up beside him, and gave her a reassuring smile. _'What a pair we are. Two of the most depressed people at this table faking the most amount of enthusiasm and lying to each other that we aren't faking it at all. It's really a wonder how we haven't been locked up in padded rooms yet.'_  
Needing a distraction, Hermione turned to Katie and began discussing ongoings at the hospital with her. Before they knew it, Molly had begun clearing the table of the empty plates and replacing them with dessert plates filled with Christmas pudding, fudge and strawberry ice cream. A round of thanks and praises went to the chef herself.

"I helped!" Teddy yelled aloud.

"I helped, too! Didn't I, Teddy!" Victoire added.

"Yes, and you both did a wonderful job, dears," Molly cooed.

"I believe a round of applause goes to Grandma's little helpers!" Bill started off the clapping with the table quickly chiming in after him.

_'There can be time for sadness and remembrance later,'_ Hermione contemplated,_ 'but for now, I think I'll just enjoy this moment as it is.'_

She and Katie didn't even have to worry about making conversation with Ginny, as she had chosen to refuse daring eye contact with either girl. '_Good_,' she thought smugly. '_At least one of them is ashamed of their actions.' _Instead, she had chatted with lackluster about playing for the Hollyhead Harpies with Bill. A part of her still felt the hurt of her closest friend abandoning her like last season's dress robes. It was something Hermione just couldn't comprehend. She'd been there for her through all of her break-ups, gave her advice on life, and shared secrets with her. How many times had she been told that, blood or not, they were _sisters_?

"Penny for your thoughts?"

She watched as Katie took a drag of her third cigarette for the night. That had also been a saving grace for Hermione. Though Katie wasn't much of a chain smoker and held off the habit until the stress at work became too much, she had continuously pumped herself with nicotine to help get Hermione away from the tension inside.

"How often would you say you, Angelina and Katie get together?"

Hermione watched Katie recoil slightly by the surprise question. For all the nights and days Katie spent in their presence, rarely were the other girls even spoken of.

"A few days before the party, actually. Stopped at Angie's for a bit and spoke to Alicia through Floo with her. It's hard for the three of us to get together these days, but we try and owl at least once a week. Why do you ask?"

Hermione drew her eyes back towards the vast landscape before the Burrow's front porch. She was vaguely aware of the laughter and music floating out from the inside. '_Had this been what George had felt the night before?'_

"I was just wondering if all friends go through dry spells." Hermione rotated in her spot on the stairs to look at Katie, who was standing and leaning on the rails. "Sometimes, I wonder if I'm being a bit harsh on Gin about all this. I know she's been terribly busy lately, and traveling for a professional Quidditch doesn't exactly leave you with much of a social life. I guess I feel that way about Harry sometimes, too. They spend all their time working and they barely get to work on their relationship, which should be number one especially since they're to be married soon. Harry, of all people, deserves to focus on himself and get lost in the normalcy of his new life."

Hermione's voice trailed off as she stared back out into the darkness. She felt guilt-ridden for having been so harsh on her friends and pulling them down into her petty problems. Briefly, Hermione contemplated going inside and asking for Ginny's forgiveness just so she could have her best friend back, even if the friendship was fleeting for the moment. Shouldn't she have just been grateful to have them alive and well. Yet, hearing about Katie and girls making effort to contact each other when they can made her feel envious of her friend. How could they manage to make it work when the once Golden Trio couldn't? Although, they weren't so golden now, were they? _'What if I'm the problem?'_

"Stop it," Katie's voice had broken through her thoughts. It was soft, yet stern.

"Stop, what?"

"You're doing it again. You've got that look on your face that says you're thinking about the past and what-ifs. It's not worth it. I've told you this before."

Hermione let out a sigh and turned to face her friend. She opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, Katie put out her smoke in the conjured ashtray and kept going.

"Fred died. Ginny and you started drifting apart because of new relationships. Ron left you for another woman. Your friends abandoned you to preserve their own happiness. You nearly drowned in your own sorrows, _literally._"

Hermione knew she was gaping like a fish again, but she could hardly care at the moment. It wasn't the first time they had this talk, but it was the first time she'd ever sound so blunt and irritated about it.

"But," Katie continued with a softer tone, "because of it, you gained a new _life_. It took George and me years to gain what you achieved in two months. You have a chance to move forward instead of being held back. It was expected that you and Ron would get together. It was expected that you'd work for Magical Creature Rights.

"Now, you can do the _unexpected_! You can be with someone who seems completely wrong for you, but is more right than any outsider can see. You can do the job that you know challenges you more intellectually than your current ever could. The Hermione _I've_seen grow up defied the standards and never let anyone stand in the way of what she wanted. Its time you got a piece of that back."

Hermione watched in awe and indignation as Katie grabbed her wand and headed back into the house.

She could feel the warming charm start to fade and decided to follow suit and perhaps mull things over a cuppa near the fireplace. So lost in her thoughts was she, that it wasn't until she heard a manly grunt when she realized she had bumped into George in the doorway.

George. Now there was thought process all on its own.

She never expected a friendship with George to grow like it did. Sure, she had grown closer to the twins throughout the memory mess with her parents. The jokes relieved the tension and they tried hard to distract their mum so she and Ronald could get research done. However, Hermione knew that if they had never broken up and if Fred had never died, they would never have become anywhere near this close. How sad was it that a bond had to be formed under such dramatic and tragic events?

Hermione muttered an apology and made to move, but found her feet glued to the spot. She looked up questioningly at George before feeling a pair of warm, full lips against her own. And as quickly as it came, the feeling ended.

"Weasley's Wizard Wheezes Lip and Locking Mistletoe," George shrugged. "I forgot Bill hung it up earlier. Well, come on! The tea isn't getting any warmer."

Their eyes locked for just a second before he gave her a soft smile and turned to walk inside the house. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered if it was possible for the look of shock to gain a permanent home on her face. Her fingertips brushed her lips, but shot back down as George threw a comment over his shoulder.

"Oh, and you're doing that fish-look again."

Hermione scowled and thought threatening thoughts at both George and Katie for their actions. She knew she should have been more concerned about the various feelings that erupted after the brief yet forced kiss from George, but all she could think about was whether or not anyone would object to trading tea in for tall glass of firewhiskey.

"Hermione," she heard Ginny calling out to her as she headed for the kitchen behind George. "Do you have a moment?"

She could see the hopeful look in Ginny's eyes as her gaze shifted from George to Hermione, almost as if she was asking for permission from both of them. Hermione saw George begin to move in between the two girls, his body tense, as she laid a calm hand on his shoulder. She shook her head so lightly it was almost undetectable.

"Yeah, Gin. We were just going in the kitchen for a drink. Would you like to join us?"

"Actually, I was hoping I could speak to you alone."

George swung open the kitchen door and held it open.

"Go on," he told them. "I believe my brother needs to be beaten at another game of chess. I'll get my cup after I've won."

Giving him a thankful smile, Hermione walked into the kitchen, not bothering to look behind her to see if Ginny was following. Her only giveaway was the sound of high heels clicking on the floor behind her. Hermione could tell that Ginny was beating herself up tremendously over her actions. She chose to take advantage of this and move in calm, slow-paced movements. She wanted her to sweat just a bit more before the eventual forgiveness was laid on the table, so to speak.

The two girls sat across from each other at the still enlarged table. It was a few sips in before Ginny finally cracked, just like Hermione knew she would.

"I need to apologize to you, Hermione," Ginny blurted.

Caught off guard by the sudden outburst, Hermione did her best not to inhale or choke on her very hot tea. Deciding it was rather best that she keep her cup on the table, she gently set it on the saucer and gave Ginny her best confused look.

"Apologize? What for?"

Ginny was too quick though, and saw right through her sarcastic act.

"You know damn well what for, Hermione Granger, so don't feed me that crock," she replied, straight-faced. "Harry told me about what happened at the cottage last month. I almost didn't believe him myself until I tried to surprise you when I was back in town a few weeks ago and found myself knee-deep in the bloody freezing ocean."

Hermione fought the urge to smirk at her friend's misfortune. Instead, she watched as Ginny took in a deep breath and continued, her voice softer.

"I should have asked you myself, and that was wrong. You're practically my sister and I sent my _boyfriend_ to go do it. You have no idea how _stupid_ I feel for doing that. And I swear, it took me _weeks_before I realized how stupid that was, which made me feel even more stupid. That just goes to show you how far in the dragon's arse my head has been. There is no excuse for that, nor is there an excuse for completely ignoring you. Did you know that this is the first time in all the years I've known you that I can't tell you, word for word, what is happening in your life? That bloody terrifies me, Hermione! I used to know everything, even down to what book you've been reading up on lately."

Ginny paused for a moment to gather her words. Hermione desperately wanted to chime in and claim equal blame, but she wanted to give her friend a chance to get everything off her chest.

"Sometimes, I worry if being on the team is making me lose my grip on my old life and I'm not quite sure how to get it back. Harry's been my only grounded stake in all of this, but he's been just as lost as I am. We wanted to talk to you together and apologize this morning, until mum told me that you lot weren't coming. I know it's not the same hearing it from me, but you have to know that this has been hard on Harry, too. You've been his number one supporter and surrogate sister for so long that he's been chatting up Arnold about his day because he has no one else to talk to about his Auror training, since I'm at Quidditch practice all day. I even caught him calling him 'Hermione' once. I know it would be difficult to forgive and forget, but can you give us this chance if we promise we'll make a larger effort? It's weird enough with Ron dating that tart as it is, we can't lose you, too."

At this point, Ginny was trying her hardest to fight back tears. Hermione grabbed her friend's hand.

"Gin, it's my fault, too," she told her, not able to let her take all of the blame anymore. "I should have tried to floo you instead of letting it all fester inside."

Hermione let go of Ginny's hand and began fiddling with her cup.

"I was in a bad place. I lost sight of what was important and what was best for me. I made a few bad decisions and got lucky when George showed up out of the blue and set me straight. Katie, too. It was really difficult to deal with... the breakup... and it felt like every time I tried to get a hold of you, you were always busy. And trust me, I completely understand. It was just hard to deal with, you know, you not being as easily accessible as you always have been. It's stupid, but I felt uncomfortable with the idea of talking to Harry about it all. He's always been in the middle of Ron and I, and seeing as he's working with him now, I guess I didn't want to put him in an awkward position."

"Hermione, that's ridiculous! Harry loves you both. You should know that you can always talk to him. Me, too. Well, I sometimes love Ron, I guess," she joked.

It felt good to laugh with her childhood best friend again.

"Let's make a promise to each other that, at the very least, you, me and Harry will get together for drinks or what have you once a month. Next weekend, we're both off and we'll meet you at the Three Broomsticks for drinks. Deal?"

Ginny stuck her hand out for Hermione to shake. Hermione knew that, with their schedules, it would be quite difficult to keep this promise of meeting together as often as possible. But Hermione shook the other girl's hand because she knew, without a doubt, that if anyone would make an effort to keep a friendship it would be them.

"I just have one last thing I need to ask of you, Hermione."

"Of course, anything," she told her friend.

"Will you please still consider being my maid of honour?"

Hermione found tears in her eyes to hear those words out loud. When Harry originally asked her, it had felt so impersonal despite it coming from the man she had begun to consider her brother. Hearing it now made her feel like her life was finally start to right itself after such a hard crash to rock bottom.

"I would be honored, Gin."

* * *

_Hermione found herself in an open field of the most beautiful orange flowers. She could sense that she wasn't alone as she closed her eyes to indulge her senses in the soft breeze and soothing scent of the Marigolds surrounding her._

_"I thought I'd find you here," he called out to her. _

_However, he was nowhere to be found as Hermione twisted around to face him. She smiled, knowing this game of his so well. When she turned back around, a tree appeared in the distance. Hermione smiled and ran towards the large tree. The closer she got to the tree, the louder his laughter became. It was infectious to her and soon found herself giggling with him. She pressed her back against the large trunk and slowly moved against it in hopes to catch him off guard. Hermione was sorely disappointed when she jumped out, only to find the back of the tree void of him._

_"Boo."_

_Hermione jumped, not expecting him to be so close to her. She turned to face him once again, this time to be surprised by his soft lips laying a loving kiss on her own. As much as she wanted to open her eyes and run from him in an attempt to make him playfully chase her through the fields for just a bit longer, her feet were planted firmly in their spot. Since she had no choice but to enjoy the moment, Hermione figured she might as well make the best of it and ran her hands up his large and defined arms before locking her arms behind his neck. His hands felt nice on her waist as he continued to kiss her._

_She could feel him pull away slightly, but Hermione wasn't ready to let him go just yet. Her eyes still closed, she leaned her forehead against his and relished in his aroma. He smelled of potions and smoke and parchment, everything she knew he'd smell like._

_"Hermione," he whispered._

_"Yes?" _

_"Hermione, love. You need to wake up."_

_"What?"_

_She lift her head to question him further, but found herself alone in the empty field._

_"Hermione, you need to wake up."_

_The voice seemed to echo across the valley._

"Hermione. Hermione! Come on, love. You need to get to bed."

Her eyes shot open and found herself face to face with an upside down George. _'Wait, upside down?'_Hermione looked about her surroundings and realized she had fallen asleep on the couch at the cottage. Gred, who had been asleep at her feet, jumped up at the sudden movement and ran to hide underneath the coffee table.

"You alright?" She heard George chuckle. "Come on, then. Let's get you to bed."

She took his outreached hand and allowed him to help pull her up. Walking away from the couch, Hermione's foot had gotten tangled up in the blanket causing her to lose her balance and fall forward. Right onto George. Her face connected with his chest, an indignant "umph" slipping from her lips as she held onto his arms for support. She felt his hands on her waist grab onto her small waist to help hold her steady as she regained her footing. Hermione took in a deep breath to calm her nerves and the smell of potions and parchment tingled her senses. Suddenly, George's body felt like hot fire to her as she made quick to stand back upright and move away from him. She could feel the blush creeping to her face as bits and pieces of her dream came flooding back to her mind. Hermione threw a quick "sorry" and "goodnight" before rushing to her room and locking the door behind her, leaving behind a scared Gred and a very confused George shaking his head in the living room.


	8. Reflections

**Chapter 8 - Reflections**

Several days had come and gone since Christmas dinner at the Burrow, including one not-so-awkward dinner with just Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, the cottage residents, and Percy. A promise for a dinner at the cottage had ended the night nicely; with a small spot of teasing Katie about the many conversations she and Percy had spent in private.

_Pop!_

Which is how she found herself here. It had been a while since she had been by Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, and with her busy schedule as of late, a while since she had seen much of either of her roommates. The isles had changed quite drastically from the last time she had stepped foot in the popular store. However, the sounds of amazement and laughter seemed to remain the same.

"Welcome to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. How can hel- oh, it's you."

"It's great seeing you, too, Lee. Did you do it yet?"

Katie was caught off guard as Lee jumped over the counter and held his hand against her mouth to silence her.

"Shhh! He's in the back room with Verity."

Lee gave a tiny nod of his head to the door behind him, her eyes following it's path. The door was still open enough for their conversation to be heard. Katie was grateful to have shown up on such a particularly crazy day for the store.

"I haven't had a chance to get him alone all day. It's been a bloody madhouse here since we opened. People were actually waiting in a line outside the door when we got here!"

"So what's he doing back there with her anyways?"

Katie around him and tried to get a look through the crack, but couldn't get a good enough view from where she stood. _'That little tart better not be trying to move in on what's not hers.' _She made to move through the opening to the back of the counter before Lee grabbed her arm and turned her to face him.

"Trust me, it's just inventory. Besides, she's married. I already tried," Lee's eyes gazed at the doorway, a slight look of disappointment on his face before it was replaced with a smile. "Oh well, her loss. That just means I'm all yours, love. I see you're all dressed up already, so what do you say I get these gits to cover the rest of my shift and we go get pissed."

Lee wagged his eyebrows at her, but the gesture was lost on Katie as she had become used to Lee's neverending flirting and harmless offers. Still, it was nice to have the second opinion that she looked as good as she felt.

"Lee, New Year's Eve is tomorrow. You have to tell him tonight that you're not going to be here. When I left the house, Hermione was telling me that her friends from work were trying to convince her to go to some stupid party with them. There's also a rumor that Gin and Harry might be coming home for the night. If you don't tell him soon, it'll ruin everything!" Katie moved towards Lee and didn't stop until she was almost nose to nose with him. "And if I find out you've botched this up, Lee Jordan, I will give you a one-way ticket to St. Mungo's Spell Damage floor and make sure that no one will find a reversal spell or trace it back to me. Then, I'll find a way to be your head Healer and torture you for the rest of your life. Are. We. Clear?"

There was a look of pure terror on his face as he shakily nodded his head in agreement.

"I promise to talk to 'im as soon as he comes back out. Operation 'Fireworks' will go off without a hitch."

"Good," Katie backed away and smoothed out the non-existent wrinkles on her dress. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I have a date."

She could vaguely hear Lee mutter, "bloody women," as she headed out the front door, the sounds of the chaotic store fading as she walked further and further away before she apparated away.

* * *

The hustle and bustle of the New Year's Eve rush had kept George and the employees of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes running around the shop for nearly a week straight. Since Zonko's had closed their doors, the members of the Wizarding community had relied on the ever-growing shop to supply them with all of the fireworks and charmed event supplies they needed. This had left him with very little time to restock on the necessary inventory, which is why George was very thankful that there had been a lull in work at the Ministry leaving Hermione extra time to help with mixing potions and applying charms. This meant more time for his staff to spend walking the floors helping customers and ringing them up at the registers. It also didn't help that Lee had chosen today, of all days, to make a trip out to see family members he'd never heard of. Honestly, if he had just told George he had a date with a bird that night he would have understood.

It had seemed that everyone was waiting until the last possible second to buy their shares of fireworks and poppers. George and Hermione decided to leave the store open for an extra two hours that night, just in case. After all, they figured, it wasn't like they had any plans for later themselves. The last customer was finally kicked out at ten after eleven that night. George placed the locking spells as he did every night and asked Hermione if she could go around and straighten the store a bit. He tried desperately to ignore how she looked in the dim lighting cast by only the reflection of the moon against the snow outside through the large windows of the shop.

As soon as he gathered everything from the two registers, he made his way into the back office. It had been a while since George last celebrated the New Year and had grown disinterest in it. Fred had always been more of the party type of the two. Celebrating without him just didn't feel the same. George was very grateful that Hermione was always more of the laid back type as this meant he wouldn't be forced to go to social events his friends were throwing.

"Hermione," he waited until he saw her head pop up from behind a display before continuing. "I'll be in the back counting out the drawers. Just head on in when you get bored of doing this. Verity does it every morning anyways, so…"

He shrugged a bit and her soft giggle made its way to his ear and trailed softly through his body.

"I'm kind of bored now," she giggled.

"Well, come on! I'll probably get all this done a lot faster with your help anyways."

Hermione grabbed a few of the things he was carrying and followed him through a door that stated:

_EMPLOYEES ONLY_

_(All other will be subjected to product testing.)_

After instructing her on what to do, he sat her down at Fred's old work desk and watched as she dived into the work. '_It seriously shouldn't be a turn on to watch her count money,'_he somewhat scolded himself. But he couldn't help such thoughts from forming as he sat at his own desk and got to work. It felt nice to him to feel the presence of someone else in the room with him. Too many people had worried about how he was like in the room he'd spent so much time with his brother in. Only Verity would enter the room if he was in it, but would always leave quickly. It wasn't until George finally put away the money they earned that day when he noticed Hermione's absence from the desk behind him.

"Hermione?"

His question was greeted with more silence. The beginnings of fireworks were heard through the echoes formed outside, louder than they should have been. George stood from the chair and peeked out the door. The front door was ajar and he could barely make out the dark silhouette of Hermione's small form.

"And I bet she's not got a cloak on either," he tutted.

George undraped his own cloak off the counter. At the last minute, he ran back into the office and poured two small glasses and a bottle of firewhiskey to toast with at midnight and made his way to the door. He glanced quickly at the clock. _11.55pm. _When he found her, she was just outside of the door, looking intently up at the sky. Even from the windows, he could see as the brilliant lights lit up her face and it sent shivers down his arms.

"What are you thinking about, love?"

He knew she was paying enough attention to hear him approach and was silently grateful. The store was much too close to Knockturn Alley for his liking, and even though the war had been long since over, it didn't change the fact that many shifty wizards hung around and wandered about at night. George placed the glasses on the ledge of the window behind him. He draped the cloak over her slender shoulders and stuffed his hands in his pockets. It was the only he could do to fight back the need to drape his own arms around her and hold tight.

His battle against his new-founded feelings for her that had been increasingly harder to fight since his stint under the mistletoe with her. George knew better than to push her. For one, he knew she  
wouldn't be forced into anything even if he tried. It was mainly for the fact that he didn't want her to be with him to get over Ron. Still, he couldn't help but take a risk and purposely catch her under it when she walking back into his childhood home. He wouldn't be him if he didn't, after all.

"Just thinking about the past few months." Her voice pulled him from his thoughts. She continued to watch the sky as he continued to watch her.

"Yeah? What about it?"

"Just thinking about how much has changed in such a small spot in time. How much _I've_changed."

George looked straight up at the sky, a small smile on his face as he realized that all of the fireworks in the sky were his and Fred's inventions. He couldn't help but revel in the pride it gave him. Still, he couldn't shake the Hermione's words from the back of his mind. It was true. Though they had only become close over the course of three months, that small amount of time was beginning to feel like years to him. As if this is how it has always been.

"Do you ever feel old, Hermione?"

"George, you're only 25," she said with an incredulous tone, her eyes never leaving the sky.

"I know, but sometimes I feel 45."

"I know what you mean. Whenever I enjoy a night like tonight, I always find myself looking back on the past ten years of my life and am amazed every single time. Most days, I don't really believe any of it's real."

"In the past seven years, I dropped out of school, opened a business with my brother, fought in a war, lost my brother, rebuilt the business after the war, gained a roommate, and might possibly be expanding my business soon." George's gazed dropped from the sky and moved to focus at nothing in front of him with a blank look on his face. He jerked his body sideways and grabbed Hermione by the arms with a firm grip. "Good Godric, I'm starting to sound like a batty old fogie! Quick, 'Mione! Fart so I can laugh at it and feel young and immature again!"

Hermione laughed, and stopped suddenly when she realized just what George had said.

"Wait, so you're really going to do it, yeah? You're really going to buy Zonko's?"

He kept the small smile on his face as he let her go to cross his arms over his chest, looking away before responding to her.

"It's getting too difficult dealing with the amount of owl orders coming in from the Hogwarts students. It just makes sense to purchase the business and set up a shop out there. I've got a few people in mind to help run it, and I know expanding is what Fred would have wanted. If anything, I need to do it for him."

"I think that's rather brilliant, George! What made you change your mind?"

"You helped me realized that I can't just stop moving forward just because he's gone. We worked so hard to make this what it is and I know he'd never forgive me if I stopped now."

He watched as Hermione smiled and wrap the cloak around her before looking back up at the fireworks. It was another minute before either spoke again.

"You know, I've never really made resolutions. I always found them pointless, since most people made such ridiculous and or impossible goals for themselves," she said. Hermione turned towards George and looked him in the eye. He noticed that the normal pools of brown were tinted from the color sky and, if he focused long enough, he could see the fireworks reflected in them. "But I think we should make them this year."

"Both of us?"

"Yeah. Resolutions to get closer to being our old selves. We've lost so much that we've lost part of ourselves. There's nothing holding us back, but us. What do you say?"

At that moment, George wanted nothing more than to believe that he could, like she had put so simply, gain back what he had lost in himself when he lost Fred. She had brought back so much hope into his life and he couldn't ignore it any longer that he had hope in life again, as well. George also couldn't ignore the fact that Hermione was so close in front of him that he could smell the scent of her floral perfume and berry scented shampoo, or the fact that her lips were parted just slightly that he was finding it very difficult to not lean in and feel them against his own again. Somewhere in the distance, it registered that many of the locals were beginning their 10-second countdown to midnight.

"Well?"

His eyes never leaving hers, George reached behind him and grabbed the glasses of firewhiskey he had brought with him earlier. He gently placed one of the glasses in her hands. Five seconds...

"To finding ourselves once more," he whispered as he raised his glass.

"Cheers," she smiled, raising her own.

When the cheers rang loudly throughout the neighborhood, George and Hermione tilted their glasses back and down their drinks in one large gulp. His eyes sought hers once more, and on an act of impulse, George bent down and placed the softest of kisses on her cold and rosy cheek.

"Happy New Year, Hermione."

"Happy New Year, George."

Smiling, the pair turned their attention back towards the sky and watched as the last of the fireworks shot up and exploded in a dance of color and light.

* * *

It was Saturday night, a few days after New Year's Day, and the residents at the cottage were thoroughly enjoying their day off with a nice relaxing evening at home.

That is, all but one particular red head causing a ruckus down in the basement.

The noise coming from downstairs had been a little too much for their new furry friend to handle. Gred had opted to hide under Hermione's bed for the majority of the day.

"Is he still going at that?" Katie griped from her spot at the stove. Hermione glanced up from the book she was reading at the table, her eyes scrunched and looking at the kitchen door. "He's been working on the same blasted potion since noon, and it's making it very difficult for me to relax on my first full day off in two weeks when I'm constantly worried I'm going to have to rush down their to reattach a limb!"

Hermione laughed at her friend's rant, but had to admit that she was growing a bit concerned herself. Since making their resolution, she had noticed that George was throwing himself into his work a bit harder and working on experiments late into the night. While she was proud of his new found rigor, she couldn't be sure that he wasn't taking this a bit too far.

"I'm just going to see if he needs any help," she offered, already heading out the door.

"While you're at it, tell 'im dinner's ready," Katie hollered after her.

Another explosion erupted from behind the basement door. The area of flooring nearest the door twitched a bit from the impact. Cautiously, Hermione cracked open the door and called out to him.

"George? Is it safe to come down?"

"Yeah, you're good!" She heard him yell a bit louder than was necessary.

_'I wouldn't be surprised if he's temporarily deafened himself from that last one,' _she mused. Hermione slowly descended down the staircase. A strong scent of burnt blueberries tingled her nose and left a disgusted look on her face. Out of the things she had expected to find when she reached the basement, a blue-haired and pink-faced George was not one of them. He reminded her strongly of a My Little Pony toy she had once as a child.

"THAT'S RIGHT," he spoke very loudly over her laughter. "GET IT ALL OUT OF YOUR SYSTEM. I'M ALRIGHT BY THE WAY, THANKS FOR ASKING."

"It's just... Your _hair_! Oh God, I can't breathe!"

"I'M REALLY NOT SURE WHAT HAPPENED HERE. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO MAKE MY HAIR LOOK LIKE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CANDY, NOT CHANGE IT'S COLORS," George continued.

"Why are you yelling? Did the explosion really leave you that deaf?" Hermione raised the volume of her voice just in case he couldn't hear her.

"I'M NO MORE DEAF THAN I STARTED OUT. WHY ARE YOU YELLING?"

"You're seriously telling me right now that you can't hear how loud you're talking?"

"MUST HAVE BEEN ANOTHER SIDE EFFECT FROM THE EXPLOSION. I CAN HEAR YOU QUITE FINE, THOUGH."

Hermione looked around the basement. Dozens of empty bottles, scratch parchment paper and quills laid scattered across the work table. The cauldron George had been working with was cracked down the middle and its contents were splattered all over him and the walls, the rest slowly dripping on the floor below it. Deciding that she would rather eliminate all risks of ending up like George, Hermione made quick to mutter a few spells to clean up the mess around them. The bottles righted themselves and moved back to the empty spaces on the shelves behind her. All of the parchment stacked themselves neatly in one corner. The quills that were no longer good floated and dropped into the trash bin, while the remaining ones moved into a small pile above the parchment. Once every drop of potion was cleaned away, Hermione made her way over to the cauldron and lifted it out of the holder.

"There's no point in trying to repair this. I have some spares in the hallway closet; you can grab one after dinner," she stated before dropping it into the trash bin. "Now, let's go upstairs so Katie can fix... whatever it is you did to yourself."

"BUT I'M SO CLOSE TO FINISHING THIS PRODUCT. IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT! LET ME JUST WORK FOR TEN MORE MINUTES, TWENTY MAX."

Hermione stuck her hands in her back pockets and looked everywhere but at George. How could she tell him that he should just give up on this one. For the past two years, many of the pranks George had been coming out with were mere updated versions of ones he already had. Every once in a great while, he'd accidentally make a prank that hadn't been created already. The majority of the ones to come out in the past 3 years were the ideas of friends and family.

"George, I'm not really sure how to tell you this but..."

"BUT WHAT, HERMIONE?" His question was drawled out.

"You've already have three other products on your shelves that do the same thing. You've just repeated another project, is all."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'ANOTHER PROJECT'? THIS IS COMPLETELY NEW AND UNIQUE AND—"

"And it's just like the Polka Pork Chops and the Candy Cobbler, and it's loosely based off the Hairtastic Hair Ties, George," she pointed out. "I'm not saying it's not good — actually, that's exactly what I'm saying."

George's expression fell solemn as he flopped into the stool beside him. Hermione's heart went out to her friend. She knew he had been trying his best to keep up with the creative end. _'It's as if he lost his inspiration when he lost Fred.' _Hermione walked around the worktable to look through the notes George had made on his latest creation, hoping maybe she could catch something he missed. Though Hermione would never admit it out loud, she enjoyed going over George's experiment and business notes more than she enjoyed her own work. There was something fun and thrilling about his business that enticed her. Her heart swelled with happiness whenever he would seek her help with the books when he was much too exhausted to do them himself.

Not getting an inspiration from the notes, Hermione moved towards the inventory list that was pinned to the wall beside her. She had memorized the products and their intentions from assisting with restocking the items at the store so many times.

"What if instead of making your hair changed to look like candy, you make it so it changes your skin to grow fish scales. You could make it to where you would even smell like fish. Great way out of a bad date, if you ask me. You could call it Scale Slime!"

She could see the excitement in his eyes and the wheels turning in his head.

"IT COULD BE A SLIME YOU PUT ON THE PARTS OF YOU NOT COVERED BY CLOTHES! THAT WAY, YOU CAN JUST WASH IT OFF WHEN YOU DON'T NEED IT ANYMORE!" George exclaimed.

"That sounds brilliant, George, but we need to set you right first. Your yelling is starting to give me a headache," she laughed.

"YOU KNOW, HERMIONE. THESE LAST FEW IDEAS YOU'VE COME UP WITH HAVE BEEN RATHER BRILLIANT. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR HELP AS OF LATE."

"It's not problem, George, really-"

"NO, I'M SERIOUS, HERMIONE. I HONESTLY DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD BE THIS DIFFICULT TO KEEP UP WITH THE INVENTING WHEN FRED DIED. IT'S NOT EVEN LIKE WE WERE AT THE POINT WHERE WE CREATED IT ALL. WE KNEW THAT THERE WAS LOADS OF PRANKS WE HADN'T COME UP WITH YET. IT'S BEEN NICE HAVING SOMEONE TO BOUNCE THESE IDEAS OFF OF."

Hermione watched as George looked shyly around them, something important seeming to be on the tip of his tongue. She furrowed her eyebrows as she watched and tried to figure it his thoughts.

"What is it, George?"

"HERMIONE," his loud voice startled her as she grow accustomed to the silence again. "IF YOU EVER, YOU KNOW, WANTED TO... WORK WITH ME AT THE SHOP, I'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU ON BOARD. A-AS MY BUSINESS PARTNER," he stammered.

It shocked Hermione. She could tell that he had even shocked himself. While she had always admired the work the twins had put into creating all of the pranks and building up what she was sure to be an empire, never in her life did she see herself actually participating in the creation of it. That's when Hermione realized she's been a part of it for months now. She had to admit that it was a challenge she had yet to see and was thoroughly enjoying herself.

Though flattered, Hermione decided to hold that notion in a special space in the back of her mind. Working for the Ministry had always been her dream. It was a dream she wasn't quite ready to give up on, no matter how miserable inside it made her. Hermione walked over to George and wrapped her arms around his neck to hug him.

"Maybe," she smiled over his shoulder.

* * *

Katie was starting to grow impatient waiting for her roommates to come out of the basement. The food she had slaved over for the past hour would need warming charms soon to stay good, and she knew then that they would taste the same. Fearing that she would start to wear a dip in the floor from pacing so much, Katie made her way toward the basement door when she heard their familiar laughter and footsteps growing louder and louder as they came up.

"Well, I'm glad to see you two having a good time. Don't mind me up here. I'm just sitting around, starving, staring at food I made that I can't eat because you lot are having fun-"

Katie never got a chance to finish scolding her friends as she roared with laughter at the ridiculous sight George was. All she could see was a blurred version of George throw his hands in the air in defeat as her eyes filled with tears from laughing so hard.

"Oy, what happened to you?" She breathed between giggles.

"I MIXED THE POTION TOO FAST AND HAD A BIT OF AN EXPLOSION DOWNSTAIRS."

The volume of George's voice caught Katie off guard.

"His voice was another side effect," Hermione explained. "Think you can fix this before we eat?"

Katie shook her head at the two. She knew that Hermione was bright enough to fix the damage if she could only stop giggling enough to properly say the words. George's skin seemed to be brightening to a brighter shade of pink, his freckles almost completely masked by the coloring. His hair was slowly starting to resemble blue troll hair. Taking pity on the wizard, Katie pulled her wand out of her back pocket and walked over to George.

"Hermione, go ahead and start setting the table while I deal with this nutter."

"OY!"

Katie could hear Hermione's chuckling fade as the door to the kitchen swung to a close. She muttered a spell to lower George's voice. She made a mental note of questioning him about his ingredients as this hadn't been the first time she had to deal with this side effect. Katie began to move her wand in slow, small circles in front of George, and watched as the teal beam of light protruding from her wand left light-streaks as she moved it through the air. The young healer decided this would be a great time to grill George about a few things privately.

"So, what took you guys so long down there?" She questioned him suggestively.

"We were discussing my latest failed product creation, is all," he explained calmly.

She knew George wasn't stupid, knew that he was on to her before she even spoke. She almost felt bad for bringing it up, because she knew their friends had to ask at least once every time they all met up for drinks or lunch. Almost.

"Oh, is that all?"

"Yes, Katie," he spoke with irritation. "Hermione and I are capable of being in a room together for a short period of time and just be talking. You know, friends and all."

"I'm only making small talk, George. Just asking innocent questions."

"I've known you since our first year at Hogwarts. Nothing you say is innocent," he scuffed.

Katie decided against protesting his claim once she could confirm that the outer appearance changes and loud speaking was the extent of the damage done by the explosion. She stood back to stare at him for a moment while she contemplated the possible reversal spells she would need to perform to change his skin color first. The wand in her hand was raised to face him at eye level, and George recoiled in fear.

"Oy! Watch where you're pointing that thing."

Ignoring him, Katie began muttering the incantations. As she watched the skin on his face transform back to it's natural color, George began to ramble about his talk with Hermione.

"Actually, she called me out for coming up with a repeated idea. I was pretty steamed about it, but she figure out a way to salvage it. She's really brilliant, you know. Some of the ideas she's come up with have been right under my nose. A few of them I'm actually surprised we haven't done it yet. I even asked her to be my business partner."

Katie was glad that he had waited to include that last piece of information until she was finished fixing his skin. She was surprised, to say the least. Yet, he had stated the fact as if he were talking about the weather. She knew that Ron and Ginny had offered numerous times to help him run the shop. Lee had confided in her that he wanted to offer himself for the position as well, but couldn't bring himself to step in the shoes of the late notorious prankster. Their close circle of friends knew better; if George was ready and wanted to bring on a new partner in crime, he would ask when he was ready. Hermione was the last person she expected to get the offer.

And yet, when she really thought about it, it seem eerily perfect. Hermione was excellent in nearly every subject from school. She knew the laws the Ministry had set in place by heart, and the rules of Hogwarts were permanently ingrained in her mind thanks to her experiences as a Prefect. Who better to help perfectly execute a prank than someone who knew how the bend the rules to her will? Hermione had already proven herself beneficial with helping fix George's messes these past few months. She could feel his questioning gaze on her, waiting for her to say something. Katie paused her thoughts so she could focus on the final incantations to correct his skin. When she was done, she placed her wand back in her pocket and crossed her arms.

"And what did she say?"

"All she said was 'maybe,'" she noticed the hint of disappointment in his voice.

"Well, I hope she takes it. Just give her time," she offered.

Katie began to walk towards the kitchen and swore she could have heard George mutter, "I seem to be doing that a lot lately."

* * *

George noticed that the group was slightly more quiet than usual. Not that it seemed everyone was avoiding conversing with each other, rather just not being as lively as they were just a few minutes ago. It always unnerved him when they ate dinner like this. When he lived at home, the dining table was always bustling with people chattering in between bites. When he and Fred had moved into the flat above the shop, they would use their time during meals to throw back and forth ideas or about the latest Quidditch matches they read up on. He supposed, though, that silence during meals was one of those minor consequences of living with females. The only other noise in the room was Gred's little ID tag occasionally hitting his dish has he ate his dinner in the corner.

Still reeling from experimenting in the basement, George decided to be a little more mischievous during dinner.

"So, Katie, you want to tell us about this mysterious lad you've been courting behind our backs?"

He knew he had done right when he saw Hermione's eyes light up and Katie freeze with the spoon hovering in front of her mouth from across the table. _'She should have known I'd play this card after what she did.'_

"Yes, who is this man you're so keen on hiding these days?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, guys," Katie retorted as she continued to eat her dinner as normal.

George's grin was set in an evil smirk, and he knew it. He knew Katie was sweating under the heat of the lamp. He had to play his cards right and hope that Hermione was in tune enough with him to play along. He glanced at Hermione, her smile mirroring his own. At that moment, he decided that this was possibly _the_sexiest expression she could ever have.

"Lee told me about the dates you've been having lately-" George started.

"And you have been coming home rather late these past few nights-" Hermione bounced off of him.

"Later than one would normally return to her home."

"Sometimes not even until the next day-"

"And in the same clothes."

"Not that we've noticed, of course."

"Merlin, no! Far too busy to notice the glow on your face-"

"Or the various owls leaving you notes in the morning."

George and Hermione watched as Katie's mouth formed an 'O' as her eyes bounced back and forth from the two. He could tell that they almost had her. They just needed to pry a little bit further...

"Perhaps she's embarrassed of us, Hermione dear," he feigned being insulted as he brought his hand to wipe away an invisible tear from his eye.

"It's the only explanation as to why she would exclude us from such an important aspect of her life," she added, sullenly.

"Who I date and when I see them isn't any of your business, you bloody sods," Katie laughed. "Besides, I'm not even sure where it's going myself. I promise, though, that if it gets any more serious that I will introduce you guys to him."

_'Checkmate.'_

George waited as calm swept the room once more and the roommates focused their attention back to their plates once more. Patience was a virtue that was well practiced by the prankster. He waited a heartbeat more before starting up again.

"I bet he's not even real," he muttered before taking a bite.

He found himself unable to pay much a mind to Katie's swearing and bickering at him as he listened to Hermione's laughter fill the room. The sound had seemed to fill him up and warm him all over. He wanted to suppress the feeling it gave him. It felt wrong to him to get like this about a close friend. However, at that moment, George felt like he had been in true form that night. It felt like the old times again when he and Fred used to play off each other like that. He almost forgot about teasing Katie about her new beau.

Almost.

"All I'm saying is that you're probably just making him up, and that's ok. We all knew you'd go completely bonkers one of these days."

"GEORGE WEASLEY!"

* * *

Hermione and Katie began putting away the dishes and cleaning up the food. George, who had claimed needing to work on the revised prank product before his ideas left him, was down in the basement and had succeeded in avoiding working on the chores. Not wanting to be left out of any possible attention or fun, Gred had propped himself at the windowsill of the kitchen switching from watching the outdoors to the girls as they cleaned.

Katie couldn't help but glance at Hermione inquisitively as they worked. It still shocked her when she thought about the progress she had been able to make with George when no one else had. _'I suppose that's why Harry and Ron never ended up getting themselves killed,' _she contemplated. '_We should have given her more credit with George. He fell for her because she was the only one who truly understood him and that's why he changed. Not the other way around.'_Katie smiled and shook her head at the notion. George Weasley falling for Hermione Granger. She didn't think she would ever see that happen, but she was surely glad to have front row seats to it all.

"Penny for your thoughts," Hermione said.

"Oh, I'm just remembering you and George earlier. For a second, it almost felt like things were back to normal with him."

"What do you mean?"

"I just think the two of you make a good match, is all. You're good for him, you know that?"

Now it was Hermione's turn to look thoughtful. Katie braced herself for any argument Hermione might throw her way, but it never came. She watched as the younger woman kept drying the newly cleaned dishes away in the cupboards.

"George is a great friend, and I'm very lucky to have him," Hermione conceded. "I'm glad to know I was able to help him in return."

Katie dropped the rag from her hand onto the table and placed her hand on her hips as she rounded on Hermione. She was starting to grow really tired of this game these two were playing.

"You know what I mean, Hermione."

Katie wanted to continue, but was interrupted by George bursting into the kitchen. She was barely able to catch a surprised Gred before he landed in a sink full of dirty dish water.

"Do you ladies have three bottles of hairspray I could have?"

She looked at the items in his hand and stared him straight in the eye.

"What in Godric's good name could you possibly need with a lamp, a broom, tapioca pudding and three bottles of hairspray?"

"I need it for the prank," George replied slowly as if she were slow.

"How is it that my life has gotten to the point that you telling us that sounds completely normal."

She watched as he abandoned his spot in the hallway, his footsteps disappearing down the hallway.

"Don't worry! I'll grab it myself," he yelled.

"That man is going to be the reason I get a therapist one day."


	9. The World Upside Down

**Chapter 9 - The World Upside Down**

"George, have you seen my bag?"

"Hermione, for the tenth time, I have not seen your bag or your sweater or your quills-"

"Fine, fine. I'm just asking. Geez."

"It's under your bathrobe in your room!"

"Thank you, Katie!"

"Do you have my green sweater?"

"Gred tore it up last week, remember? Here, borrow mine."

"Does anyone have any-"

"No, George," the girls said in unison.

Hermione nearly collided with George in the hallway as she rushed out of her room. This particular Monday had been going just awful. For the first time in years, Hermione found herself running late for work. Getting used to taking care of a kitten was a new experience for her that had not been going smoothly.

Crookshanks had been an older cat when she had adopted him. He had already been litter-trained and in tuned with Hermione and her magic. They had an unspoken understanding of the rules. Gred, however, was only a few months old and still had his kitten mentality of playing and attacking anything around him. After waking up twenty minutes later than she normally would, Hermione found Gred on the floor beside her bed in a shredded heap of what was once her favorite winter cloak.

"You know the rules, George," she scolded as she moved around him towards the fireplace. "You're not allowed to touch our beauty products after you almost blew up the house two weeks ago."

Hermione stopped in her tracks as she leaned down to pet Gred from his spot on the couch and backed up a few steps until she could see George in the hallway. Katie was already rushing out of her room and down the hallway, desperate to make it out of the house in time for her shift at the hospital.

"In fact, the revised new rule will now be that not only are you not allowed to touch our beauty products, but you're also not allowed to work on any more product creations that involve the use of beauty products. Are we clear?"

Wanting to drive her point home, Hermione used to fingers to point at her eyes and moved to point at him. She watched George throw his hands up in front of him in defeat before she turned around and headed back to the fireplace.

"I have a double shift again tonight," Katie told them. "I'll see you lot tomorrow morning."

With a quick smile, Katie vanished into the green flames and the fireplace was empty once again. Hermione took a quick glance at the new watch Ginny had given her for Christmas. _'7.58 am. I'll never make it to my desk in time. And on today of all days,'_she inwardly grumbled. She stepped into the fireplace quickly and jolted when she felt George thrust a handful of floo powder in her hand. She watched him grab the kitten and use his paw to give her a quick wave.

"Good luck today, Mum!" George squeaked from behind the kitten's head.

George and Gred's smiling faces were the last things she saw as she was pulled through the floo network.

* * *

Hermione rushed from the fireplace to the elevator down the hall, much like the many employees around her were considering it was already eight in the morning. As Hermione looked about the group running, she desperately hoped there was a lag in the floo network to give her an excuse without dealing with the consequences. As the young witch piled in with fifteen other patrons, the lift gates closed and they were jolted backwards and upwards through the various floors and departments.

The elevator stopped abruptly on Level 4: The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. She, along with four of her peers, stepped out and made a mad dash for their offices. The hallways were quiet and empty, which wasn't unusual for the Being Division on a Monday. Many were still attempting to wake up in their offices. She could just imagine them now at their desks, their noses deep in the posts that came in over the weekend and getting their notes ready for their staff meeting. Hermione decided to not make a stop at the coffee station and continued on to her office, already going over her plan for the day so she could feign having been on time. Just as she was turning the handle, two familiar voices chimed from behind her.

"Well, I never thought I'd live to see the day."

"I guess there really is a first for everything!"

Hermione instantly began to relax and slowed her pace slightly as she entered her office, leaving the door open for her friends to follow suit. She quickly closed the door behind her, but not without first checking to see if anyone was in the hall to see them.

"Don't worry. Apparently, the Quidditch game last night between Puddlemere and Moose Jaw went on until the wee hours of the morn and a good number of the department's still a bit pissed from celebrating so late!"

Sara's cheery Irish voice was almost nauseating to her. Normally, it was welcoming to Hermione to not be the only morning person in the department, but today she was just too down and out to handle it.

"Here," Lola pushed her untouched coffee into Hermione's hands. "You need this more than I do today, love. I hear that McDaniel's made his decision for who will be taking over his position. He's supposed to make the announcement at the end of the staff meeting this morning."

"At the end?"

"It's just what I've heard. At it's like Sara said, no one's really with it this morning. Who knows how much truth is actually in it."

Hermione slunk into her rickety, cracked leather chair and took three large gulps of the coffee. Their staff meetings had a tendency to run on for the majority of the morning. A few of the older employees would take their time and explain at great lengths the individual projects they were involved in. The younger employees knew that time was money in their division and tried to sum up the progress so as not to bore their peers with the unnecessary details. Many of the employees would bring books and magazines with them to do in between people.

"Um, Hermione?" Sara broke her from her thoughts.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?"

"Lola was just saying that that's not the bad news we came in to tell you."

Hermione could feel the dread build up inside the pit of her stomach. Both girls had shift eyes as she looked from one to the other. It had to be bad if neither girl were rambling a a million miles an hour. There were times when Sara and Lola reminded her of more matured versions of her Hogwarts dormmates. Sara and Lola both worked in the Werewolf Support Services sub-division as researchers, and took their jobs very seriously.

"Well?" She encouraged them to continue.

"Michael was walking about this morning and bragging to everyone about how he and missus had dinner on Saturday night with McDaniel and his family. I found out from Megan in the Goblin Division, who lives two doors down from Michael, that McDaniel's been there almost every Saturday for the past four weeks for dinner. It's not looking good, dear."

And there it was, the reason she knew she shouldn't have gotten out of bed this morning. She didn't care about the coffee that spilled onto her notes from her slammed the cup on the tiny desk. All she saw was red. Though she normally knew better than to trust in the bits of information that floated from mouth to mouth in her division, she couldn't ignore the facts slapping her in the face. At the end of their staff meeting, McDaniel would retire from position as Head of the Being Division and Michael Spritzer would be given the promotion only she truly deserved.

"This is going to be a very long day," she muttered to the girls.

The rest of the morning leading up to the staff meeting, which had been delayed until 10.30, was spent with Hermione double checking the work she had been doing for the projects Michael had long since forgotten about. She shook her head in anger as she stared at the looming pile of projects that had somehow manage to find their way onto her desk. Hermione had been made Head of the Office of House-Elf Relocation subdivision a year prior, and her main task was to manage a team of six people whose individual jobs were to handle requests, complaints and concerns that came in from the owners of House-Elves. Michael was Head of Goblin Liaison Office after Dirk Creswell had been promoted seven months ago, and managed a much smaller team of three people. In the staff's opinion, Dirk's infant grandson could run the department far better than Michael ever could.

Though their individual subdivisions had no ties to one another other than the main division they were housed under, Hermione's team found themselves picking up their slack more and more. It wasn't as if McDaniel wasn't aware of the issue as he was the one passing off the projects to them. Instead of reprimanding Michael for his lack of effort and demoting him back to staff level, he merely ignored it altogether when the two began to get chummy out of the office. Since then, McDaniel had been taking advantage of the fact that Hermione was willing to take on his projects on top of hers. She had tried for months to keep her motivation up by gladly accepting the overtime, she quickly realized that no amount of money would make up for the lack of respect she felt at work.

She could feel the anger building inside of her despite herself having already given up on getting the promotion. While she loved the work she did at the Ministry, these mindless office politics were preventing her from really feeling like she was making a difference in her position. In the past four years, Hermione had tried her best to do more for House-Elf rights, only to be laughed at from every superior she came across. Sure, a few minor treatments laws had been passed to prevent mistreating from occurring, but she still felt it wasn't enough. Even the members of her own subdivision felt she was slightly loony for her train of thinking.

For all of the progress she had made with the changes in her work life, her professional life still felt life it was progressively getting worse as the weeks went on. A light knocking at her door shook her from her reverie.

"Hermione, it's Lola. You ready to go to the meeting?"

"Just a second!"

Hermione quickly grabbed her Quick Quotes Quill and left.

* * *

"And then on Thursday, I'll be meeting with a young bloke from Hogsmeade who claims he's heard a dragon nearby."

Many of the staff had already checked out at this point from listening to Larry Bourkson drone on about his duties for the week. They had already been in the meeting for an hour and forty minutes at that point, and Hermione could see that people were starting to become anxious waiting for the announcement. Thankfully, Larry was the last person to speak. When he finished ten minutes later, McDaniel stood up from his spot at the head of the table.

"As you know, today marks my final day here at the Ministry as Head of the Being Division," he began. "After a heavy amount of consideration, I will be promoting one of the Heads of the subdivisions to replace me. This wasn't an easy decision to make, but it's one that I'm proud of. This individual has gone above and beyond to empower their team to work at their best and has done exceptional work within their own projects. I have seen this person shine from day one and blossom into the leadership role they have today."

As McDaniel continued to praise the mysterious employee, Hermione couldn't help but regain confidence that he had made his decision based off of skill and not personal attachment like she had been afraid of.

"I'm confident that this employee will lead the division and make a great deal of difference here at the Ministry. It's my pleasure to announce that the new Head of the Being Division is..."

His pause felt like the world had paused for an hour. Everyone around her was waiting with baited breath, her own staff looking at her with hopeful smiles and knowing looks. Even Lola and Sara were starting to look like their faith in the system had been restored.

"Michael Spritzer! Congratulations, my boy! I know you'll make us all proud with the accomplishments you'll achieve."

Hermione's heart sank into her chest and it took everything she had in her to keep the smile on her face and applaud for her colleague. The sound from the room seemed to drain out. Everything Michael had said as he walked over to her and shook her hand went through one ear and out the other. She tried to make herself move and get out of the room before her team could see her shut down, but it was useless. When she finally came back to reality, Michael, McDaniel and Head of the Werewolf Support Services, Marcus Smith, were the only ones left in the room. Even Marcus looked extremely disappointed in the choice McDaniel had made. He was originally offered the position due to his seniority, but had respectfully turned it down as he felt satisfied with his current position. His team had been very grateful for this as none of them wanted to fill such big shoes.

She tried stopping herself from walking up to McDaniel and giving her a piece of her mind, but her feet had begun to move on their own accord. It was as if she was no longer in control of herself. She was losing her grip again. The look of pity Marcus gave her on his way out didn't go unnoticed. Before she knew it, she was directly in front the former Head and was timidly commanding his attention.

"Excuse me, Mr. McDaniel, may I speak with you in private for a moment?" She asked politely.

"My dear, anything you wish to say to me you may say front of your new Head as well."

"Alright. If you don't mind me asking, sir, why was I not given the promotion?"

"Well, I felt that Michael excelled at the responsibility he was handed. I was particularly impressed with the way he has been handling his team as of late. Being Head of the Being Division takes a lot of patience and a lot of maturity to handle such a large team. While you showed great work as well, I just didn't feel you were matured enough to handle such a big task. You understand, don't you dear?"

Hermione couldn't believe what she just heard. From behind him, she could see Michael standing with a pompous smile on his face like the cat that got the canary. _'Not mature enough? GREAT WORK?' _Hermione had heard a lot of terrible things be said of her in her life. Being Muggle-born around so many purebloods had not left her the privilege of being sheltered from harmful words - the 'Mudblood' carving she received from Bellatrix LeStrange during the War had served as a constant reminder of that - but never in her life had she ever been told her work was simply 'great' or that she was not 'mature enough' for any great task. Her pride may had been greatly damaged, but she would be damned if she allowed anyone to take away her dignity after that.

"You made a mistake."

She wore a stone face and spoke with a strength she hadn't felt in years. McDaniel was caught off guard with her words and fear swept Michael's face. Neither man was prepared for a force like her temper.

"I beg your pardon!"

"You most certainly should."

Now she had their attention.

"You made a huge mistake promoting Michael into the position as Division Head. He's lazy, unreliable and unethical, and knows very little about what the position truly entails. And how DARE you tell me that his work is better than mine! I'm the one who has been cleaning up after his messes since I got this position. Every unfinished project he left behind was dealt with by my team on top of all the other things we've been bogged down with."

Her voice was starting to get louder and the noise in the halls started to cease.

"I'm Hermione Granger! I was top of my class at Hogwarts and given the title of 'brightest witch of her age' by Professor Dumbledore and every other professor who walked those halls! I helped Harry Potter take down Voldemort before I graduated school! I should have been the one to get that promotion, not him! You are going to fully regret your decision, but I won't be here for you ungrateful sods to rely on when this entire department begins to fall apart at the seams. I QUIT!"

Everyone from the division had stepped out into the hallway to listen to the confrontation. No one spoke as Hermione walked through them and straight to her office. The only sound to fill the space was her heels clicking against the stone floor and the fabric of her cloak billowing around her. She felt empowered as she strode through the various hallways. It was like a huge burden had been lifted off her shoulders by telling her old boss off. _'Consequences be damned. I deserve better than this.'_

With a flick of her wand, all of her personal belongings were spelled into an empty box she transfigured from a used quill. The box was shrunk and placed into her bag. In the back of her mind, she made a mental note to owl the girls later to explain what happened. For now, she wouldn't stop for anything. Hermione never looked back as she walked out of her office and straight into the elevators.

* * *

Hermione was grateful to see that the shop was experiencing a particularly quiet day when she entered. After storming out of the Ministry office and stepping out into Muggle London, she had taken the trek by foot to get to the doors of The Leaky Cauldron and the secret passageway that lead to Diagon Alley. Being as emotional as she was, Hermione didn't trust herself enough to successfully apparate, nor did she think going straight home was a good idea. It would have been her luck that Gred had destroyed more of her home in her absence and she didn't want to take her anger out on the young and unsuspecting kitten. Instead, she made a beeline for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes to see the one person she knew she could find inner peace with: George.

As soon as she stepped through the doors, a small bit of calm washed over her. The laughter and conversations of the few customers he had were ogling over a few of their more elaborate products that she recognized from her first trip to the store after they opened. From the office in the back, one could hear tiny explosions from the creation of more inventory and the opening of boxes. Verity was levitating a box from the highest shelf and floating it effortlessly down into her hands before taking it back to the counter. Hermione weaved in and out of the isles before the Patented Daydream Charms boxes. Whenever she passed by these particular items, she couldn't help herself from looking back fondly as she remembered Fred passing her one of the treats. He had said that this one was free, but it wasn't the last one the twins had ever sent her. Though they never mentioned it, every few months during her sixth year a small box of four Daydreams always managed to find their way to her room by an owl. The owls and the packaging was never the same twice, but she knew that they had been the ones to send them in an attempt to make up for their idiot brother's constant mistakes and prevent her from giving up. The awfully brightly colored tissue paper on the inside that had a distinct scent of the Burrow was always their giveaway. Getting lost in nostalgia, Hermione grabbed a box for herself and made her way to the counter.

"Are you sure this will work?" Hermione her a woman ask.

"I'm positive. We've been using this product for years," George tried to explain to her.

She saw George's head glance at her as she came from around a corner and give her a big smile. Seeing him sent a warming sensation through her body and calmed her completely. She made her way to stand beside him as he continued to speak with his customers.

"In fact, this lovely lady can tell you about her firsthand experience with the Bruise-Remover Paste!"

The woman and her daughter both looked inquisitively at Hermione, making her chuckle a bit. It amazed her how much of her past with the twins and their antics were coming back to her today. Especially considering how her day had been going so far.

"Oh, yes. I was the unfortunate receiver of a black eye from a Punching Telescope a long time ago. The paste has actually improved quite a bit over the years, though it was always a great product. You'll be good as new in an hour, tops," she reassured the little girl.

George bent down to get eye-level with the woman's daughter and held out the paste for her to take and rubbed the top of her head.

"Now make sure your mum applies this on that eye as soon as you get home, ok? If you ever feel like getting a little bit of fun revenge on those nasty boys that did this to you, you just let me know and I'll make sure the punishment more than fits the crime. Don't worry, you'll be ok."

The little girl nodded her head and took the paste from him. The mother said a quick thanks to George, grabbed the daughter's hand and lead her over to Verity at the counter. Hermione watched George as he watched the family pay for their purchases at the counter. She loved watching him while he worked in the shop. It was one of the few times she saw him light up. He was truly in his element here. His passion for bringing laughter to others had achieved so much and she admired him for it. However, thinking about his happiness brought a small of sadness and the smile on her face started to dip slowly.

"So, what are you doing here at this hour, 'Mione?" George, not noticing the light dimming in her eyes, made to grab the box from her hand to examine it. "Daydreams, eh? Don't tell me the Ministry workload magically disappeared from the desk of the new Head of the Being Division's desk, leaving her no choice but to pass her time with mischievousness and dallying about?"

The onslaught of tears that burst out of her had caught both of them off guard. She didn't expect to have this kind of reaction when she readied herself to tell George that she didn't get the promotion. She knew he would be greatly disappointed for her, as he and Katie were so convinced of her getting it. Her celebration dinner that night was all George had talked about for the past week. Gentle hands pulled her towards a body and arms wrapped around her holding her tight. She felt as George placed a soothing hand on the back of her head and rest his cheek against her head.

"I-I-I'm so-sorry," she stuttered into his chest.

"Shhh. Nonsense, love. You have nothing to be sorry for. Just tell ol' Georgie what happened," he cooed.

It took Hermione a few more minutes to regain control of her emotions and stop crying. She hiccupped as she pulling herself out of George's arms, but he kept his hands on her arms. It was times like these when she felt so grateful to have him in her life. Though Harry and Ron had been there beside her on more than most people would need to experience in their life, neither boy had been very good with dealing with a sobbing girl. Having a fiancé who would much rather yell, scream and punch than shed a tear, Harry had started to lose his touch. George, on the other hand, was much smoother with the ladies like his older brother Bill and could handle just about anything she threw at him. Hermione took a deep breath and hoped her voice wouldn't shake too much as she attempted to explain to George what exactly happened.

"I didn't get it," she whispered, desperately holding back the tears that threatened to fall.

"Oh, Hermione."

She shook her head. She didn't want his sympathy voice. That was too much for her in her delicate state. She needed angry, impulsive-mouthed George right now, and worried she had rubbed off on him too much.

"What happened?"

"He gave it to that sod, Spritzer. So, I quit. Just now. I'm sorry. I didn't think about the fact that you had work to do and-"

"Don't you worry about that. It's slow here anyways. I'll get Verity to watch over the store until Lee comes in. Stay right here, ok?"

Not able to do much of anything, Hermione simply nodded and continued to stand there feeling like an idiot for crying in the middle of a joke shop. She watched as he jogged over to Verity and update her on the situation. Verity gave her a sympathetic smile and continued listening to George's instructions on her tasks for the day.

"Why don't we go get some lunch," he told her when he came back.

Hermione nodded once more and allowed George to dragged her out of the store by her hand.

"And maybe a shot of Firewhiskey."

She nodded once more, this time with a little more feeling.

* * *

George listened as Hermione recounted the morning's events, minute by minute, as they sat at the restaurant and waited for their food. It angered him beyond belief to hear about how his friend was cast to the side while they promoted some other guy that was wasn't half the employee she was. He had grown up hearing about the unfortunate decisions the Ministry made internally through his family and friends of theirs. He knew that the higher-ups were notorious for promoting the wrong people and doing very little to rectify the situation. Hell, they were the ones stupid enough to try and cover up Voldemort returning to power. He did not think, though, that anyone at the Ministry was stupid enough to mistreat the members of The Golden Trio. _'Apparently everyone's stupid enough for something,' _he grumbled inwardly.

Seeing that she had used up another napkin on tears and bogies, George handed Hermione another napkin to clean her face with. It amazed him how beautiful she looked, even while she sat a complete mess in front of him. He ran a hand through his hair and tried to push those thoughts aside. Since the New Year, George had stopped fighting the feelings building within him. He knew they would be pointless. One did not simply crush on a bird like Hermione, they fell head over heals in love with them. While he couldn't say he had fallen in love with her just yet, he knew that his face was approaching the ground quicker than it ever had in his life - and George had fallen on his face quite a lot. Instead of pushing it, he had merely put in his best attempt to not flaunt it at the house and took out his pent up frustration on his work pushing himself to create as much as he could. It helped, but not as much as he'd like it to.

"And then I told him that I quit. Oh Merlin, George. I quit my job at the Ministry! And I yelled at both the previous and current Heads of the Division. I'm never going to be allowed to apply for another position there again."

"That's complete rubbish, Hermione. You know that Shacklebolt and Potter would help you get any position you wanted. I'm actually surprised you didn't go to them about this injustice."

"I could never do that, and you know that. The position would have never felt like it was truly mine. It would always feel as if I used my friend's social statuses to get ahead, and that's not fair to the others."

"It also wasn't fair when it was done to you, though."

"Two wrongs don't make a right, George."

"No, but two fists make two black eyes. Where does this wanker live?"

He knew that would make her smile. She had long since stopped trying to clean up his language when he called her out for condemning him and not Katie. So, instead of fighting them both, she chose to drop it altogether and they made the conscious effort to not swear as much out of respect for her. Hermione let out a chuckle-snort.

"I just wish I could see how the department was after I storm out of there. Everyone heard me. It was actually a bit thrilling walking out and seeing all of them stare in shock at me. A few people that had been in my way moved rather quickly out of it, though I think they were afraid I would yell at them as well."

"You are quite terrifying when you're angry. It's actually pretty cool, you know, when you're not the one being yelled at."

George let out a shiver as he thought back to being on the receiving end of one of her screams. The two shared a laugh before turning their attention to the waitress as she set down their plates of food. They each sat in comfortable silence as they ate. He took time in between bites to enjoy the sight that she was and appreciate the moment before him. It had been a while since the two had gone out to enjoy a meal outside of the Cottage and without Katie. Secretly, he missed these times.

His mind drifted off as he ate and thought back to his job proposal that he gave her nearly three week ago. It had been an impulsive decision, but one that he didn't regret. The look of shock on her face had made his heart stop beating and, for just a second, he was sure that she would laugh at the notion. Instead, she had hugged him and had given him a maybe. When even Katie hadn't laughed his face, he knew that his offer had been a sound act.

He didn't know how to feel after seeing both of their reactions until later that night before finally going to bed. As he laid in bed and stare at the ceiling, he tried to analyze what all had happened that night. George had felt conflicted. While he knew no one could ever replace his brother, he knew that Hermione would have been a brilliant addition to the team and was the only person he could think of that could actually help him keep running it. Especially now that he would be starting a new location in Hogsmeade over the summer.

George had gotten out of bed and padded over to Hermione's door. He twisted the handle gently, mindful not to wake her, and just stared at her sleeping form from the doorway in the darkness. He remembered thinking that she slept how he imagined a princess would sleep. The steady pattern of her breathing left him mesmerized. Gred had been curled up at the foot of her bed. When a deep seeded need to crawl into bed with her shook him to the core, he knew that this was more than a fleeting fancy. He closed the door to her room and began to make his way back to his room.

"What are you doing, George?"

Katie's voice had been soft, but slightly stern. When he turned to face her, he knew right away that she had been watching him this whole time. Katie was never someone who he could lie to. She and Lee knew him better than the others had.

"I honestly don't know," he remembered admitting to her.

Rubbing his face with hands and stopping his hands on his lips, he leaned against the way and racked his brain for some kind of explanation only to come up empty handed. Katie leaned against the opposite wall and stared at Hermione's door.

"I think you need to take some time to figure it out," she had said. "I wish I could tell you exactly what to do, but I can't give you any advice until you've sorted your thoughts first."

At first, he had tried to run away from her, but she would always seek him out. If he worked late hours at the shop, she would bring him dinner and help him with closing. If he spent too much time in the basement, she would find a way to force him out for even just an hour. It was endearing and frustrating all at the same time. One night, he had come home to find Hermione crying on the couch. Gred had gotten out somehow and she had spent the better part of the day trying to find him. The winter snow had begun to drizzle over the small town and she was scared he wouldn't make it through the night. He held her, doing his best to calm his friend down.

There was something about the way she had felt in his arms. Every hug felt like she had been molded to fit perfectly against him. Gred had eventually made his way back to the home, tired and cold. Hermione had been so overjoyed to see him. She held the kitten in one hand and wrapped George in a hug with the other. When the hug was over, she didn't let go and leaned into his side instead. The two had stayed like that, looking from each other to Gred. Without thinking, George had squeezed her closer and kissed her on the head. It had felt like the most natural thing to do at the time. Hermione never tensed or said anything or made to move away from him, so he had chosen to ignore his actions completely. That's when he realized that he, George Fabian Weasley, was beginning to fall for a one Hermione Jane Granger.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with myself, George," she told him.

It took every last drop of control he had left in him to not blurt out the word "me".

"I've never had free time like this in my life. What am I going to do?"

He knew that a panic attack was just on the horizon from the sound of voice, but George had a hard time believing that she'd never relaxed.

"What about the summer holidays?"

"What about them," she scoffed. "For the first few years, my parents sent me through summer school to take advanced courses for writing and arithmancy. After fourth year, I spent the whole time studying new spells and preparing for the war. Then, I was preparing to go _back_to Hogwarts to finish schooling, and it was straight to the Ministry after graduation. I never even used up my vacation time at work! Or my sick leave, now that I think of it."

George couldn't believe what he was hearing. He longed for the summers off to do nothing but sleep in late and go to bed late. To lay in his bed all day and not have a care in the world. To not enjoy the simple pleasure in doing nothing, be responsible for nothing, and think about nothing for at least a week straight was absolutely unacceptable to him. He wanted to slap himself for near suggesting she work at the store. No, she would not be allowed to work at all for at least a week. He knew asking for two weeks would open himself up to a possible beating by a woman that scared him almost as much as his mother. He tried to think of different relaxing activities she could indulge herself in that wouldn't involve her working.

"You should really make the most of this time. Think about it, how often will you get a chance like this for the rest of your life? This time should be spent wisely doing something you've always wanted to do but never had the chance to do it."

"There are a few books in my library that I've been wanting to reread," she tried out.

"No. You read all the time. Something that doesn't involve finding a job or doing something you've already done. Come on, Hermione. There's gotta be something _fun_you've always wanted to do."

"Reading a great book over again is fun for me! But... I suppose if I _had _to choose something-

"Which you do-"

"Which I must-"

"And it must be fun-"

"Shut it! I'm trying to think here," she laughed. "I suppose I've always wanted to take a cooking class or a pottery class. I miss traveling as well, but it's much too cold to go anywhere at this time of year."

"Actually, I think you should take a pottery class."

"Is George Weasley condoning the passing of lazing about for a class?"

"It's a class, yes, but it's a fun class. I hear girls coming into the store all the time about how much they love taking pottery classes with their boyfriends."

He watched as Hermione contemplated the possibility of the class for a moment. She changed her mind and shook her head.

"No, you're right. I should do something that's less learning and more doing. I have been wanting to go ice skating really badly as of late, too. I think that would be a lot of fun."

"I think that would be loads of fun! You know, the pond at the Burrow is completely frozen over. We should buy a pair of skates this afternoon and go later tonight. We can have dinner there and skate afterward! What do you say?"

"I say you've got yourself a deal!"

* * *

They arrived an hour before dinner time to enjoy a surprise meal with Molly and Arthur. It was nice being able have dinner with the people who had grown to be secondary parents for her. Percy had to work late at the office that night, and so it had become a meal for four. Hermione caught them up to speed with what had happened earlier that day. Arthur told them that it explained some of the odd mutterings he had heard while at the office that day.

She explained to them that she would be heeding George's advice to take it easy for the next week and enjoy the peace and quiet before returning to the workforce, wherever that may lead her. She snuck a quick smile to George, whose face began to light up the instant she did. All those years of practice with Fred had given George the unique ability to quickly pick up on nonverbal communication, for which she was glad about. Since that moment, George had been a bundle of unreleased energy. She watched as he wolfed down his dinner faster than a breakfast meal before a Quidditch game. His excitement had begun to rub off on her, as well. Before they got ready to head outside, George ran up to use the loo, leaving Hermione to spend some alone time with the elder Weasleys for a few moments.

"Hermione," Molly spoke as she grabbed her hand. "I want to thank you."

Confused, she asked, "For what, Mrs. Weasley?"

"For helping George. You've been good for him, Hermione. I don't know what you told him, but I have never seen him so _alive_in such a long time. And I can tell he's made a difference in your life, too."

"I have yet to figure out if that's a good thing or a bad thing," she joked.

Molly took Hermione's hands in hers and held her gaze.

"What you two have is incredibly special, Hermione. More than most people I've seen in all my lifetime." Hermione watched as Molly and Arthur shared a knowing smile. "Cherish it and don't let it pass you by."

Realizing what she was suggesting, Hermione slowly moved her hands out of Molly's grip and started to get up from the table.

"Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, with all due respect I think you guys have the wrong idea-"

"Alright, I'm back! Let's go skating!"

George chose the best time to burst into the kitchen grinning like a maniac. He had their skates in one hand with her coat and mittens draped over his arm, and had grabbed Hermione's hand with the spare. He dragged her outside with him before she had a chance to finish her protest to his mother. Once the door was closed securely behind him, George handed Hermione her pair of skate shoes and her outer clothing garments. Once she had her winter weather wears on, she caught an evil glint in his eye.

"I'll race you to the pond!"

Hermione's laughter followed him as he ran like a madman for the pond. It didn't take them long to lace up their skates and get used to gliding across the frozen water. George and Hermione held each others hands as they skated in circles around the outer edges. The cool air hit their faces causing their noses to turn a bright pink, but they didn't care about how cold it was outside. They felt like they were kids again. Each fall hurt less than the last, but each laugh was harder.

"I almost forgot what it was to laugh like this," she muttered.

"I know what you mean."

They continued to skate in a peaceful silence, the only sounds were their blades scraping across the ice. It was different from all of the other times she had been there with Harry, Ron and Ginny. Everything they did together had felt so... coupley. Being here with George made her feel normal, made her feel like they were just two people enjoying time together. If Hermione were to be honest with herself at that moment, spending time with George was better than spending time with anyone else she knew.

As she glanced over at him, she wondered if he made everyone feel like this, feel like they were alive. Hermione's heart began to shift and tumble, and it confused her. This had happened quite a few times lately and she had no idea where it was coming from. She chanced a glimpse of their hands and found that their fingers had intertwined with each other. Her heart began to race at the sight of it, but it wasn't unwelcome. She looked at him again and found him smiling at her. If her cheeks weren't already so rosy from the cold she was sure he'd see her blush. Not wanting to address the elephant in the room, she shifted her gaze to the scenic view around them. Hermione cataloged these emotions for a later date when she could question Ginny and Katie to get their opinion. In the meantime, she would enjoy this moment for as long as she could.

* * *

"How long can they skate in bloody circles for? Honestly!"

Katie chuckled at her boyfriend's irritation. Really, it was his fault they had been trapped outside in the freezing cold for the past 45 minutes. If he hadn't been so randy, they would have been in her warm and cozy bed at the Cottage or upstairs in the comfort of the Burrow. Instead, they were pressed against a tree that had ample view of the pond and the couple on it.

"Oh, just give them this one moment. They both deserve it. This is your fault anyways," she softly chuckled.

He did his best to give her a stern glare, but his other body parts were telling her otherwise. Even as they attempted to stay as hidden in the darkness as possible, she knew damn well that there was no real reason for him to keep his body pressed against hers, pinning her against the tree.

"I do, however, know of a way we could pass the time until they're done," she whispered into his ear, grabbing it lightly with her teeth.

She could feel his hands grip her waist tighter and dig his nails into her through her cloak. His breathing had become ragged as she kiss her way down his jaw line. She placed a teasing kiss on the corner of his mouth before pulling away to lean against the tree again. Katie didn't even get a chance to say anything more as he dove into her lips with reckless abandon and hiked her leg to wrap it around his waist.

_'Well, I guess he's on board.'_

She felt her cloak be pushed open and his hands slip under the back of her shirt as he began to caress her lower back. She gave into him, not understanding how someone like him could make her lose her mind completely. She supposed it was merely a Weasley gene. Katie moaned slightly into his ear as his hand moved up her thigh under her dress. Secretly, she was glad she wore such a short dress on this particular night. While the cold had been left to be desired, this moment more than made up for it. With one swift move, he pushed himself inside of her. She wasn't sure if it was the thrill of possibly getting caught or the advancement they had made that night in their relationship, but there was a different look in his eyes as he thrusted inside of her. His hands remained behind her arse and the back of her head that she vaguely registered as his way of protecting her from getting hurt on the tree as he dove into her harder and faster. Katie wasn't sure how much more of this she could take.

"Let go, Katie. Let go for me, please," he begged her.

His voice had sounded so sexy that she couldn't have held back any longer if she wanted to. She bit into his shoulder to keep from screaming his name out loud as she came undone, he following shortly after. Silently, Katie muttered a spell and together they collapsed to the ground. He readjusted them to a more comfortable position with him lying on the ground and her on top of him. He was almost always so gentle with her, despite the fact that she was much more thick skinned than he from years of Quidditch training in her youth. He placed a small kiss on her forehead and wrapped his arms around her body.

"We're going to be here for a while, aren't we?"

All Katie could do was giggle. He groaned at her response, and she couldn't blame him. They had been out there for an hour now. They were lucky that Hermione and George had run outside after they had taken their stroll around the pond and had their fun basking in their togetherness. It was difficult these days for them to get together, what with her random schedule and his long hours. They made do as much as possible. She had been worried that her schedule would be too much of a burden on this relationship, as it had been to so many others. He understood where the others had given up, though. Katie often thought about the three main people she had in her life these days. All career-oriented, giving it all they had to the best at what they did. She was very glad she had those influences around her. They laid there for another ten minutes using her cloak and a few weak warming charms to keep the winter wind from freezing them to death. They could hear the other couple's laughter float over, the energy in their voices evidence enough of how long they'd be stuck out there for.

"I'm bored," she whined as quietly as she could.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I am, too."

"Wanna go again?"

His only response was the ravishing kisses he surprised her with.


	10. Give Me Something to Believe

**Chapter 10: Give Me Something to Believe**

Flooing into WWW always made Hermione nervous, as she was never sure if she'd be on the receiving end of an unfortunate explosion. For this reason, Hermione always owled George ahead of time so he knew exactly when she would be showing up to help further ensure her safety. Today was no different, but she was even more surprised to land in an empty, dark room.

"_Lumos_," she muttered.

The bright light illuminating from her wand helped guide her way to the door. She half expected the store to be closed from how quiet it was. Though the students had long since gone back to school, Saturdays were always busiest for the employees. There were times when Katie and Hermione had come in during their free time to help with the rush of customers.

She waved quickly at George and Lee, who were busy at the counter with customers, on her way out of the front doors and down the road to The Leaky Cauldron. She was most excited about this because she would finally be meeting up with Harry and Ginny to discuss details about the wedding of the century. As she entered the back doors of the pub, she could see now why the streets had been so deserted as many were scrambling to be in the same place as the famous Harry Potter and the Holly Happiest star Keeper, Ginny Weasley. Hermione had to fight her way through the crowd that had been desperately attempting to inconspicuously get a glimpse without them noticing. They always noticed though. Most days, her childhood friends could ignore it. She was actually quite surprised that the couple had chosen such a public place to discuss such a private event.

"Excuse me. Excuse me. EXCUSE ME!"

One particular group of girls weren't even trying to pretend like they were looking at Harry. She had tried to be nice and politely excuse herself in between them, but as she caught Ginny's eye she knew that they were being relentless. The girls merely stared at her as she pushed her way through them. She threw her cloak and her bag onto the seat and turned once more to face them, irritated beyond belief.

"Yes, he is Harry Potter," she yelled in their faces. "He is here with me, his best friend, and his _fiancé_. Fiancé, as in he is not interested in any of you, nor would he ever be. Now, if you would be so kind as to mind your own business and sit elsewhere, that would be wonderful."

She could hear Harry failing to hide his laughter and saw Ginny clapping slowly at her as she waited for the girls to move. When they made no effort to move or even acknowledge she said something, she yelled at Tom to help her find the trio a private place to sit in peace. Tom screamed at the girls to buy something or leave and escorted them to a small room in the back exclusive to the Cauldron's more exciting visitors. He brought them all a round of butterbeer and chips to enjoy until a waitress could come around to take their order.

"I have to say, I was worried at first that George would be a terrible influence on you, 'Mione," Harry commented. "But I see now that it was just the right amount."  
Hermione laughed at her friend's observation.

"So, I take it you heard about what happened at the Ministry?"

"Are you kidding me? Everyone's talking about it. You've made Spritzer the laughing stock of the office. Anyone who knows you have told him he's lucky to not have random objects flying at him or having his arse cursed to never being able to sit properly on again! Why didn't you tell me what happened? I could have helped, you know."

"You know I never would've felt right about that. Besides, if being Hermione Granger, close friend of Harry Potter, were enough of a reason to give me the promotion they'd have done it. But it's ok, because I have a better job prospect that I'm more than sure I'll be taking. I just need to enjoy a little me-time first."

Hermione gave them a knowing smile that left them confused. When she turned her eyes to look at Ginny, she knew their "friend telepathy" had not grown weaker in their time apart.

"He didn't!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Who didn't what?" Harry asked.

"He did," she told her.

"Who?"

"Good Godric, I didn't see that one coming," Ginny said as she was left speechless in her seat.

"Trust me, Katie didn't either."

"WHO?" Harry yelled for an answer.

"George asked me to be his business partner at the shop."

Hermione laughed as Harry's mouth dropped in shock. Everyone they knew had given up on the notion of George getting someone to help him run the store full time when he had turned down their offers for years. Hermione had been one of the few people who had never offered. For one, she was sure he would have laughed at her suggestion, but also because she knew he wouldn't have given the position to another person until he was ready.

Her ultimate decision was weighed heavily for the few days after the initial proposal. With the possibility of a promotion looming on her future, she didn't want to give him an answer that would have given him hope when she couldn't deliver or one that might have discouraged him from asking anyone ever again. When she went back to help him at the store after their lunch on the day she was fired, Hermione had found herself to be enjoying the work much more than she had anticipated. While she had alluded to accepting the position that night, she hadn't quite had talked about with George.

"So, what did you tell him?" Ginny asked her.

"I told him maybe at the time. I haven't told him that I'll be accepting it just yet. He kind of knows, though. I imagine he'll want me to start right away. But enough shop-talk! I want to hear all about your plans for the big day."

She sat and listened as her friends chattered on about floral arrangements, secret locations and who was on the final guest list. To Hermione's dismay, Ron, who was made Harry's best man, would escort her down the aisle. She couldn't be too angry as they had always known this was how it would be. As much as their break up had hurt, she had to admit that she missed the friendship they shared and hoped this wedding might help restore it to the way it once was somehow. As it stood, they still had a long way to go. Like talking, for one thing.

"With the amount of fame we've both gained, we decided that a very tiny ceremony would be best. For added security and a little bit of mystery, we've decided to not tell anyone about where the wedding will be. They'll all be given portkeys that will take them where they need to go."

"I think that's brilliant, Gin. So, what more of the wedding do you need help with?"

"Just getting the dresses, at this point. We decided to hire a wedding coordinator to help with the small details so we're not stressing out trying to make more happen with the small amount of free time we have, you know?"

Hermione watched as the loving couple took a moment to get lost in the happiness of their love. It pulled at her heartstrings as she felt a pang of jealously towards them for being so blissfully in love. Still, she was overjoyed that they had found each other.

The remainder of their lunch was spent with catching up with the recent ins and outs of their daily lives. She found herself lost in her thoughts as they spoke. Part of her missed being part of a couple. It wasn't that she didn't know how to function properly outside of one, just that she missed having a companion that she could lose track of time with, someone who understood her better than she did herself. Even more so, she missed having beside her a person who was more than her best friend, he was the second half to her whole.

She took her time walking back to the shop wanting to enjoy the time alone. Hermione found herself doing that more since she quit her job. A short time ago, being alone had been a terrifying notion that came with bad thoughts. These days, George had helped her to see that peace can be refreshing and a time for positive reflection.

A smile tugged at the corner of her lips when the shop came into view. She saw George turn to look at the people outside and caught his eye. The smile he gave her as he waved her excitedly to come in sent a warm sensation throughout her. Hermione picked up her pace without even realizing it. The closer she got to the window, the more she could see why George was rushing her entrance. The inside wasn't busy with customers as it had when she arrived, but it was filled with their close friends.

George had resumed his position near the prank Quidditch supplies with Oliver, Angelina and Lee, while Katie had perched herself with Alicia near the WonderWitch products to discuss the upcoming Valentine's Day dinners they expect from their new beaus. Hermione weighed her options of conversation topics carefully, and decided that she would give the girls a chance as Quidditch was never her forte.

"Hey there, Hermione," Alicia greeted.

"We were just discussing our date plans for Valentine's Day. How did your lunch with Harry and Ginny go?" Katie asked her.

"It went rather well, actually," she told the girls. "Gin's hired someone to help with the planning, so I'll only be needed for the dresses."

"Where's the wedding going to be? Oh, I bet it's someplace romantic," she heard Alicia gush.

"Actually, they've decided not to tell anyone where it's to be held. They wanted to add a spot of mystery, I guess."

The girls nodded their heads in agreement. They knew the two had been struggling for their privacy as of late, and could understand the need for added security.

"So, what are your plans for Valentine's Day, Hermione? Will you be having a special someone taking you out to a fancy dinner?"

Hermione laughed at Alicia's antics. She had always known the girl to be the hopeless romantic of the group. From the conversations she had with Lee, George and Katie, she knew that Oliver was more than happy to indulge her every whim.

"I'll passing on celebrating this holiday, I'm afraid."

"Well, who knows," Katie countered. "You never know when that special someone will come knocking at your door with a bouquet of flowers just for you."

She smiled politely at the two girls and appreciated their hopefulness. Hermione knew better, though. Since her break up with Ron, she had been turned off by the idea of starting over with someone new. She had opted to postpone awkward first dates and uncomfortable goodnight kisses for as long as she could stand. Not wanting them to dwell on her decision to go solo, she recovered the conversation well by letting the girls discuss their plans instead.

"What does Oliver have planned for the big night," she asked Alicia.

"I'll be taking her to Paris for the weekend to do a spot of skiing. The rest of the time will be spent in the hotel room," Oliver chimed in and wagged his eyebrows.

The others were close behind him and whole group made disgusted noises. While they had appreciated his lack of revealing information, they all could have done without the setup for imagination to take over.

"Oh no, I really must be off!" Hermione said as she checked her watch.

"You always did have a way of scaring off the ladies, mate," Lee joked, giving Oliver a pat on the back. "Well, the sane ones anyways."

Katie and Angelina swatted at his arms knowing that Alicia was too far from him to do it herself.

"No, I invited a few girls I worked with at the Ministry for dinner tonight and I haven't started cooking or cleaning."

Lee recovered from the abuse at the mention of girls. The group rolled their eyes and shook their heads knowing what was coming next.

"You should have said so, Hermione! What time should I be there, and should I bring red or white wine? You know what, don't worry about it. I'll bring two bottles of each and show up at seven to help you greet the girls."

Hermione paused for a second at his words. While she knew both girls were single and that looking for dates was difficult with their schedules, she seriously contemplated having him over to meet them.

"Wait, you're not seriously agreeing to this, are you Hermione?" George asked.

"Well..."

"Great! What are we having?"

"Now hold on just a second, Lee. I will agree to this only on the following conditions." Hermione heard Katie and George chuckle at her statement. "You will be there at six-thirty to assist me with preparations, and not seven. You will bring three bottles of red wine instead. These girls are my friends, and are intelligent and respected women in their field. These girls are not your options for one-night-stands and, therefore, you will not treat them as such. If you choose one and I find out you've hurt them, I will be coming after you personally. Are we clear?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Lee saluted her and gave her a huge grin. She knew she was possibly getting herself in a load of trouble by agreeing to this, but she really just wanted Lee to stop asking her to set her up with some of her friends.

"I'll join you guys after I've closed the shop for the night. Just in case someone needs to be there to reign him in," George had added.

Hermione said her goodbyes and rushed back to the fireplace in the back room to floo home and prepare for the dinner party.

* * *

Hermione was impressed with Lee's promptness when she heard the fireplace crackle. She finished up placing the last of the plates before heading into the living room to greet him. He came just as he promised: with three bottles of red wine and on his best behavior. The only question left unanswered now was how long it would all last. Hermione lead him back to the kitchen to have him help with setting the table for dinner so she could finished up the food for the evening. She wanted him to show up a half-hour early to prep him for the discussions she knew would come up that night.

"I want to warn you now that I haven't seen these girls for a week and they're going to want catch up with any happenings at the Ministry. Let them get it out of their system or we'll be dragging it out all night."

She pulled the roasted chicken out of the oven and the kitchen instantly filled with a lemony scent. She magically transferred the chicken onto a serving platter and dressed it up with a few thin slices of lemons and fresh rosemary before placing it on the table. Lee continued to place the silverware as she talked.

"Sara's quite the cheery girl, and she loves meeting new people. Expect her to ask all about you. Lola's cheery too, but a bit more reserved. She'll ask things about you whether they make you uncomfortable or not. They've both got a bit of an issue with personal boundaries, I'm afraid. They are researchers after all. Finding questions to their answers is their full time job.

"Both of them have been single, in and out of relationships since I've met them. Good lads, just none worth keeping around. The nice thing is, if they're interested you'll know. They don't beat around the bush. Really, they're just as brash and flirty as you. You might actually have some fun with this tonight, Lee."

Lee seemed to like what she said as she told him about her friends. They filled the rest of the time with how she had met the girls and how things at the shop were going. Finishing ten minutes ahead of time, they decided to enjoy a small glass of wine while they waited.

"So, I heard that George asked you to work at the shop. Didn't believe it at first, have to admit."

"Neither did I, nor Harry, Ginny or Katie. I take it he told you, then?"

"Actually, Katie did."

Hermione froze, her hand in mid-air, as his words weighed heavily on her. She had completely forgotten that Lee had been the one to help George this entire time and didn't even consider how this news might have affected him. Guilt began to wash over her before he stopped her.

"Oh, Lee-"

"I'm alright with it, honestly."

"I didn't think-"

"You didn't have to. I'm serious, Hermione. There's no way I would have cut it for the position, anyways. He needed someone who excelled at business know-hows, potions and charms, and I don't fit the role. I always knew I wouldn't get it. To be quite honest, I don't think I really would have taken it if he had accepted my offer. I'd be feeling like I was trying to replace Fred the whole time and the thought doesn't leave me feeling well."

Hermione placed her glass down on the table. When he put it that way, she had to admit that it would make sense that she would be the one to help him run the shop. She really was the only other person they knew who could take on the task.

"Not that I think you should feel the same way or something!" Lee mistook her thoughtful facial expression for one of regret.

"No, I understand," she reassured him. "You just helped me come closer to my final decision."

"Does that mean you're going to take it?" He asked, hope evident in his voice.

"Yes, I believe I will be," she told him.

The two toasted to her upcoming employment opportunity. Lee looked as if there was something on his mind, but didn't quite know how to say it. She decided not to push it, though. She had a funny feeling she didn't want to hear it.

"So, uh, what's going on between you and George?"

She was right.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Lee scoffed.

"Come on, Hermione. This is me we're talking about it here. I don't have to live with you guys to see something is going on. Something has changed between you two."  
Hermione began to protest his observation, but he cut her off.

"I'm not saying you have to label it or decide one way or another. What goes on between the two of you is your business. All I'm saying is that the two of you need to be careful. You've both gone through a lot, albeit him more than you. I just don't want to see either of you get hurt and rush into something. If you take that position and start something up with him, you'll have to consider what could happen if you don't work out."

He paused for a second to take a sip of wine before he continued.

"That being said, you also shouldn't avoid taking a chance just because you worry about if and how it would end. What if it worked out and he turned out to be your mate for life? Would that regret be worth it as you're laying on your deathbed and reflecting back on life? I once asked Angelina if she ever regretted dating Fred knowing the heartache she went through when he died. She told me that getting the chance to love him was the greatest gift she was given. All I'm saying is that you should take your time and enjoy it. Who knows? These moments could be the best times of your lives."

She didn't know how to respond to that. In all of the years she'd known Lee, that was the most profound and serious thing she's ever heard him say. She was beginning to think about what he said and a few comments Katie had slipped in the last few weeks. Hermione and Lee spent the last few minutes of privacy in relative silence as she waited for her friends to arrive.

* * *

It was close to midnight by the time George apparated back to his shared home. He felt bad for having missed dinner with Hermione, Lee and her friends, but the store had a sudden and random onslaught of customers he couldn't ignore. The store had been left in complete disarray at the end of the night, more than he knew Verity could handle on her own in the morning, thus forcing stay even later to clean up most of the mess.

The lights of the cottage were off, save for a small beam of light that spilled into the hallway. George found Hermione in her room reading a book on her bed, propped against her headboard. He knocked on the doorframe to get her attention before coming inside.

"You're back late," she said pointedly.

"Duty calls and all that," he muttered, exhaustion evident in his voice.

George dropped his cloak onto her chair at her desk before plopping his tired body on Hermione's bed next to her, his head by her feet and his arms spread out across the mattress. He loved hanging out in Hermione's room with her as she read and lay casually on her bed beside her. Her mattress was much more luxurious than hers, much more like a giant pillow to lay on rather than the stiff one he used nightly.  
"Are you hungry? I saved your plate for you in the fridge."

"I am, but I'm much too tired to move. How did your dinner go," he said tiredly.

"Sara and Lola told me that Spritzer's apparently making a daily fool of himself. Said it's gotten to the point where making fun of him for failing isn't as fun as it had been the first two days. Apparently, him passing off so much work to me meant he didn't know all of the important things he needed to know for the position."

"Serves him right, the bloody sod."

George gave her a wink that set Hermione off into a fit of giggles. A smile crept into his lips as he lost himself in the sight of her. Being with her made him feel like an adult. It was a strange feeling to a prankster that made his living off reverting people back to their childhood, but he liked it. Out of his peripheral vision, he could see that his hand was dangerously close to her exposed feet. Without breaking eye contact with her, his hand grabbed her foot quickly and he brought his other around to tickle it mercilessly. She struggled to get away from him, but to no avail.

"No George! Oh gosh! Stop it! No!" She cried out in a laughing fit.

"I'm sorry, I can't quite understand you. Mind repeating that again?"

She swatted at his arms and hands as best she could as she twisted and jerked, not able to handle how much it tickled. He propped himself to his knees on the bed and moved his hands to her stomach to drive her even more mad. He began to laugh himself when her spastic movement worsened and tears started falling from her eyes from laughing so hard. He finally relinquished his hold on her when he could tell she couldn't breathe and allowed her a moment to catch her breath as he lay on the bed beside her. Her giggling calmed down and they laid there, both on their backs staring at the ceiling of her room.

"I hope Lee behaved himself tonight."

"He was a perfect gentlemen, actually. Well, up until the girls got drunk and began openly flirting with him the rest of the night. To be honest, I couldn't quite tell who he was going home with. Might have been one, might have been none-"

"Might have been both."

"Honestly, that wouldn't surprise me in the least."

George's eyebrows rose at the notion.

"Well, good for him."

"Yeah," she said.

Hermione had remained silent as she marked her spot in the book before placing it on her nightstand. George didn't have to look to know what she was doing. They had played out these actions so often that he had her every movement etched into his brain.

"Hey George?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Hermione scrunched her nose at his words and shook her head.

"Don't call me that. Makes me feel like an old spinster woman with nine cats."

"Speaking of cats, where's Gred at?"

George lifted his head slightly to look around the room.

"He's under the bed. He knocked over Katie's favorite bottle of perfume and broke it. When she started yelling at him, he ran under the bed and hasn't come out since. That was yesterday morning," she chuckled.

"I don't blame him. That woman scares the hell out of me. Always has." George rolled over to look under the bed, two green eyes peering at him in the darkness. "Don't worry, mate. Soon ol' Perce will do something to set her off and you'll be off the hook. Feel free to come out at any point tonight, though. She won't be back until lunch tomorrow."

The small kitten meowed at him, but remained in his position under the bed. Apparently, he wasn't willing to take any chances. He couldn't blame the poor little guy.

"Remind me tomorrow that I now owe her a sweater, a tube of gloss, and now a new bottle of very expensive perfume."

As George twisted back around to resume his own position of staring at the ceiling with Hermione, he felt his eyelids begin to grow heavy with sleep. The day's activities were finally starting wear him down. He knew the smart thing to do would be to get up and go to bed, but it just seemed like more effort than it was worth. Plus, any excuse to fall asleep in this particular spot was better than none.

"George," she spoke.

He grunted in Hermione's direction, sleep already feeling like it was taking him over.

"If it's alright with you, I'd like to take you up on that offer."

That woke him up. How many dreams had he had as of late that started out like this? Not wanting to push it into the wrong direction, he allowed her the opportunity to speak further.

"What do you mean, love?"

"I mean, as your business partner. If the offer still stands, I'd like to take it."

His heart swelled with joy at her words. He had sat panicked for so long, wondering if she thought it a prank. While he had caught on to her wordless notion at their dinner with his parents a week ago, doubt still lingered over him. He had waited so long to find someone who had the knowledge and skills to help him maintain the dream he and his brother had worked so hard to turn into a reality. George reached down to grab her hand, a big smile on his face.

"You have no idea how happy that makes me to hear," he told her as he squeezed her hand. "Start whenever you're ready."

George fell asleep beside her moments later as he listened to chatter on excitedly about reviewing the books and organizing their inventory lists. He would later recall this moment as the best and longest amount of sleep he'd had since the final battle.

* * *

Valentine's Day was already upon them, and the store was bustling with a heavy wave of female customers purchasing prank gifts for their boyfriends to enjoy, brothers hoping to prank their siblings during their dates, and girls looking to prank the men that didn't ask them to be their Valentine. This was a day that was equal parts cruel and unusual. George couldn't hold back his laughter as he saw Hermione on the floor helping customers find the products they needed. He told her that it would be a great way for her to get used to the layout of the store and figure out which are the best products for the intended victim. He hadn't, however, taken into consideration how easiest stressed would become.

"George! That's an awful way to put that," he remembered her scolding him.

"Think about it this way, Hermione," he explained. "You can ensure that the punishment meets the crime. You wouldn't want someone going after the worst of the pranks for a Canary Cream incident, would you? No. You'd save those for the girls catching their randy men sleeping around on them, or for the bloke whose radishes keep getting stomped on by the bratty neighbor punks. It's like getting to play a judge for a split second."

"I suppose you're right," she had conceded.

He was beginning to feel bad for having left her on her on, though. Her once contained bun had started to leak pieces of hair and her locks frizzed the more stressed she became. The sight was just too adorable for him not to look. Pity finally came over at him when he decided to give her a break.

"Hey, Verity?"

"Yeah, boss."

"Do me a huge favor, please, and relieve Hermione from floor duties?"

"Of course! Poor thing, I'm surprised she's lasted as long as she has."

"She is a trooper, that one," he boasted.

He watched as Verity headed over to the frazzled younger witch. A physical sigh of relief washed over Hermione's whole body and she visibly relaxed at the mention of getting a break. Her feet dragged as she made her way to the empty registers. George tried his hardest not to laugh as she plopped into the stool beside him.

"How you doin', love?"

"Oh shut it, you."

This time, George didn't try to hold back his laughter. She glared daggers at him, but he could tell that she was much too exhausted to stay mad at him for too long.

"Come on, now. It couldn't have been that bad."

"Not that bad? Not that bad, he says! Do you know how many angry women I had to help out there? I didn't think they would ever stop coming. I tried to talk them out of getting the really gruesome pranks, but they wouldn't have it. I eventually gave up and just let them have what they wanted. They were so vicious about it, too! One woman was angry because her husband didn't get her the diamond necklace she had been eyeing and dropping hints about for the past month, and wanted to turn certain parts of him purple with warts for a month! When I told her all we had was one that turned the entire person green with boils for a day she bought thirty of them. Thirty, George! She was going to poison him with our products!"

"I was wondering why that bloody woman wanted to buy so many. Don't worry about her, though. I told her our selling limit was ten on those, and that if she wanted anymore then that she'd have to sign a waiver stating that she couldn't hold us liable for any permanent damage it did to the consumer's skin. I was terrified for the poor bastard when she actually signed it. That product won't kill him, but I have no idea what the long lasting effects are for someone eating that many at once. That's why we have a form and one of the best lawyers around, though!"

She merely shook her head at him. Clearly, the notion that many of their customers could be that cruel was still sinking in. He gave her a pat on the back before turning to help a customer that had just walked up.

"Not all bad people come from Slytherin, 'Moine. Many of the most vindictive and cruel customers that walk through those doors sprout from Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. Now, you just sit there and take a quick five. I'll show you how to keep track of our discounts for bulk items."

As the line died down, George joined her at the stools. Having been used to the chaos, he wasn't nearly as rustled by the onslaught crowd as Hermione had been. Even Verity and Lee were proving to be seasoned veterans. They weren't showing as much stress and exhaustion as they had in the years passed.

"So, what are our plans for the night, my dear?"

Hermione gave him a funny look, not understanding him.

"You know, for our anti-Valentine's dinner? We're the only single ones left. Might as well make the most of it, I say."

She seemed to contemplate his words a minute longer than he had originally anticipated. George had worried that Hermione had made plans for the night without him knowing. He already had a special night planned for the two of them and never stopped to consider she might have made plans with someone else. Still, he held his breath as he patiently awaited her answer.

"I guess I hadn't thought of that. I think that sounds lovely, George! What time should I be there?"

Her excitement was like music to his ear. He jumped off the chair and grabbed her by the shoulders. Suddenly, George felt like a kid in a candy store.

"That's the great thing about this dinner. It doesn't matter when you show up, because we're not trying to impress anyone!"

"Well, what should I wear?" She asked with a serious and inquiring tone.

"It doesn't matter if you show up in pajamas, because it's just us!"

George could see the humor in her eyes as she thought of more ridiculous scenarios to put them in and go along with his jokes.

"What about wine? Surely I'm expected to know what type of wine to bring to compliment our dinner."

"Don't even bother, my dear. Wine is for saps and people on overly romantic dates. Tonight we will be enjoying Firewhiskey and butterbeers!"

He could tell she was beginning to lose her poker face, but wasn't backing down just yet.

"Oh, gifts! Naturally, we must get each other gifts, yeah?"

George hung his mouth open for just a beat, careful to choose his words wisely. They were talking about presents after all. Who in their right mind would turn down the chance to get presents?

"That, we would do," he told her sternly. "But not these stupid gifts where I buy you roses and candies, and you buy me pants with frillies on them. This is the perfect excuse for us to get creative and buy gag gifts for each other."

"I can't be that creative in," Hermione checked her watch, "three hours!"

George paused and stared her straight in the eye, confused at as to how she could so blatantly miss the obvious.

"Hermione, where do you work?" He asked her slowly.

He watched her face progress from confusion to revelation to silliness. George couldn't help but stare and smile at her as she burst into a fit of giggles after she realized what she had said.

"I tell you what," he told her, "you can go around the shop once we close and pick out what you want to give me. There's wrapping paper in the back you can use. I'll wait until you leave to grab yours and meet you at the house. I'll bring over some take-out from The Cauldron and we'll have ourselves a blast. Sound good?"

Hermione nodded at him.

"Fantastic! Now, the way you keep track of the discounts is by looking at this book and matching it on the chart. See?"

* * *

In her opinion, this had been the most fun she had on Valentine's Day in her entire life. Hermione and George were spending a quiet evening at home, eating fish and chips in the living with the radio playing in the background and just enjoying each other's company. The pair were relaxing in their pajamas, with Hermione sprawled out on the couch, and George on the floor sitting adjacent to her. The two told stories about their worst Valentine's Day dates, their worst dates, and laughed at their choice of partners back in their school days. George even told her about a few terrible dates he had witnessed Fred go through. She still saw a bit of the pain in his eyes, but he didn't look as on edge as he used to when his late brother was spoke of.

"You know, it's moments like these where I look back on last November and feel so stupid for my actions." Ignoring George's shaking head in protest, she continued. "Really, getting that drunk by myself was a terrible idea, and then thinking I could take a nap in the bathtub as a means to kill myself? Really, I shouldn't have been so irrational."

"You were hurt, it's understandable."

"It's ridiculous."

"That's love, dear."

"If that was love, then I don't think I want it."

George never commented on her confession. It was true, however. The whole time she participated in the relationship, she never really felt it was love. She could never discern whether it was because they had been friends so long that she couldn't get her mind around thinking differently, or if it were due to the fact that they really weren't made for each other. Thinking back on it now, she wondered if she loved him, or was _in_ _love_ with him. Hermione sighed heavily.

"Sometimes," she continued, "I wonder if I forced something to happen just because I wanted it so badly. Now, I wonder if I'd still have my friend if I hadn't pushed so hard."

"You can't think like that, though," he put his plate down to put his hand on her shin, the closest body part to him. "What's happened has happened. All you can do now is push forward and hope for the best."

"You're starting to sound like Katie," she chuckled.

George withdrew his hand and moved to grab his plate again, his smile looking forced.

"Well, she's made some good observations lately. Been starting to realize that I need to listen to her more."

"I just think that it should be easy, being in love. It should be simple."

"It should be! Life's complicated enough," George added.

"Exactly! You should be able to just lose yourself in one another. Time seems to stop around you and all you can see, think and hear is the person you're with. You don't get tired of being with each other for days on end because you're beyond the point of being best friends, you're one in the same."

"Somehow, the pieces of the puzzle just fit," George spoke softly. "You don't know how or when it happened, just that it did and it feels amazing."

He raised his eyes from his plate to look Hermione in the eye. His words hit so close to home. No one else she knew got it. They wanted the complications, they wanted to be so wrong yet so right, they wanted what they couldn't have. Whatever happened to syncing in body, mind and soul with another person? Having that connection that no one else could possibly comprehend. Appearing to being so different, yet more similar than anyone could have guessed. Hermione couldn't tear her eyes away from George, nor did she want to. She wasn't a hopeless romantic by any means, but something about this moment made her want to make it last as long as possible.

"You end up thinking about it all the time, that you start to grow mad," she continued. "The first few moments make you think, 'yeah, I want to make this work.' And the second you start trying to make it work, you realize that you don't have to do anything because it just works, as if it has always been and always will."

"Everything they say you understand, and vice versa. You can look at that person and they just get it. When you're not with that person, you can't wait to get back to them. When you are with that person, you can't fathom ever leaving them."

"Yeah," she said almost dreamily.

The two shared a small smile after their moment, and continued to eat their food in silence. Hermione caught herself sneaking glances at George when he wasn't looking. Her eyes drifted over to their presents on the coffee table. He had given her a bouquet of trick flowers that omitted a stench when you closed in to take a whiff. She had given him a trick tie that rolled up from bottom to the top and never laid flat.

Gred had chosen that moment to waltz into the living to see what they were up to. After deciding he wasn't as interested as he thought he'd be, he curled up for a nap against George's thigh.

"I need someone who's willing to wait for me, but refuses to give up on me. I think I've chased enough in my day. I deserve to be chased after by someone who wants to prove that they deserve to love me. Someone who makes me laugh. Someone who makes me feel safe and protected. Someone who appreciates and challenges my intelligence, but doesn't make me feel silly for being smart."

"I don't think that's asking for too much, love. In fact, I don't think that's asking for enough. You deserve someone who wants to spend the rest of their life proving to you time and time again that you mean more to them than their own life does. A man, not a boy, who will give you everything he has just to see you smile. A man who will wipe the tears away, not be the one that causes them. The only reason why you argue is because he states the wrong facts about Hogwarts' history."

Hermione never realized that George had grabbed her hand as he spoke to her. She also never noticed how the pads of his thumbs rubbed small circles on her soft skin. She never saw the intense look of love in his eyes as he spoke so highly of her. She could only think back to private conversations, her times of great need, the mornings that had been so hard to get up, the nights she couldn't go to sleep, and the personal conversations had about her deepest kept secrets. So many of them had revolved around this man in such a short span of time. Yet, it had come to feel like lifetimes. Whenever she found herself thinking about these individual moments in her life, the first face she saw was his. _'How have I managed to ignore it this long?' _She scolded herself.

All Hermione could acknowledge was the fact that she had, indeed, fallen for George Weasley.


	11. Here We Go Again

**Chapter 11: Here We Go Again**

It had been too natural for Hermione to slip into the groove of working at George's shop. She found solace in the accounting work and peace in doing inventory. She was already pretty familiar with the ins and outs of the daily workload from the amount of time she had spent helping him out. In fact, it felt as if she had always been there, working right beside him since the beginning. He had always made it easy to feel comfortable and relaxed around him, so she wasn't surprised when he was like this in the workplace, as well. As days quickly turned into weeks, Hermione began to wonder why she had never considered going into business after school herself. There was much structure and repetition in running a business, but customers added a nice challenging element that she hadn't thought of.

She knew George had appreciated having the extra full-time worker to lessen the load. Lee and Verity had tried to help as much as possible by offering to work more hours and staying late to assist with whatever he needed. However, they didn't have the knowledge and skills needed to deal with what it took to really run a business. Hermione tried to help him stay afloat with the books and the time alone he needed to make more products in the basement, but they both knew it wasn't enough. It seemed like their customer base was at an all-time high and he wouldn't have been able to keep up much longer if he were to open a second location on top of it.

He had been expressing his gratitude to her daily with hugs when they were alone or picking up lunch for them when she was hyperfocusing on projects. It had been sweet, but slightly concerning. There was a twinkle in his eyes that she couldn't quite place. Since their night ice-skating on the pond, she had noticed a change in George. She tried to shrug it off and tell herself that she was only looking for those actions because she wanted it to be more than it was. It would be little things here and there; a hug for saving him a plate of dinner here, a cuddle on the couch while reading there.

It wasn't like she didn't like what was happening, by any means. She just didn't want to give her hopes up for something that wouldn't happen. Again. Why would he want to be with the girl that his younger brother had once dated? She felt like she was, for all intents and purposes, used goods.

"Hermione? So, it _is_true that you're working here now!"

The man that spoke sounded so familiar, his voice drawing a negative feeling inside of her that took her off guard. The way he spoke was as if working here had been a joke in and of itself. Her muscles tensed as her heart seemed to drop into her stomach at the realization of who the owner of the voice was. She turned around to see that last person she had hoped to ever set eyes on again: Michael Spritzer.

It took every ounce of self-control she had in her not to hit him across the face with the clipboard she had been working on. Her grip tightened its hold so much that the edges were starting to hurt her hands.

"Michael Spritzer! I didn't expect to see you in here!" Her cheery voice was forced and fake.

"I didn't either, but this was where I was told I could find you. So, here I am!"

He stretched his arms out and looked about the store. Spritzer's face wore a snobbish look of disgust.

"I can tell you're not here to shop for pranks, so what can I help you with?"

"I'm glad you asked, Ms. Granger!"

_'Dear Merlin, shoot me.'_

Hermione wanted nothing more than to start hexing him all the way to the door or to yell out to Lee and George to beat the magic out of him until he begged for death. Her whole body was tense with anger just by the sight of him.

"I'm in dire need of an assistant to help me with the workload. Being Division Head is quite the demanding job, and I need someone to help-"

"Make you look good? Do your work for you? Bend to the every request his Majesty requires?"

Spritzer recoiled in shock over her words. She couldn't help herself, though. Of all the things she thought would happen in her life, hearing this cheeky arsehole come into her shop and try to suggest her working directly for him as his slave had not been on the list. She had been stressed out enough as of late and she would not take this too.

"Hermione, is everything alright over here?"

George had stepped beside her, but she never took her menacing glare away from Spritzer. She was so fueled by her own anger that she barely registered the comforting hand George had placed on her lower back as he looked between the two.

"Yes, it's quite alright, sir," he said to George, his pointy chin held high. "I was just trying to convince Hermione that her efforts and vast knowledge would be put to better use at the Ministry than in a simple _joke shop_, of all places."

George removed the hand he had on Hermione and crossed his arms over his chest. When he stood straight, he seemed to tower over Spritzer's five-foot-eight frame. Part of her knew she should have at least tried to stop George from stepping into Spritzer's face, in fear of a lawsuit for assault if nothing else, but she knew she could just oblivate his mind so he had no recollection of the fight ever having started. And frankly, she wanted to see George take him down a peg or two, either with words or fists.

"You listen, and you listen well," George spoke, his tone deep and threatening. "She will never work for you or those ungrateful bastards of your department ever again. Hermione is right where she belongs, and doing an amazing job at helping me run this business.

"Now, you're going to walk out of this shop and never visit this establishment again. The second you're out of this building, I'm going to add you and your future children to the list of banned customers. If you ever try to approach Hermione again about anything, I will find you and I will end you. Are we clear, mate?"

Spritzer did his best to match George's puffed up stature and look just as tough as he did. George, however, had one leg up on him: he was a Weasley man, through and through. No one stood up to a Weasley and walked away unscathed. Hermione silently reprimanded herself for finding George sexy at that specific moment.

Deciding she wasn't worth risking harm to his charming face, Spritzer looked from Hermione to George one last time before heading toward the doors. The two laughed wholeheartedly as the handles reached out to grab his arms while the rug slingshot him out into the road.

"Serves him right for thinking he could just waltz in here and take what he wants. It really is a wonder as to how that man got himself hired in the first place," he chuckled.

"Thank you," she spoke softly. "I really appreciate what you did there."

George pulled her arms to wrap around his waist before wrapping his own arms around her, his chin rested atop her head.

"I meant every word of it, love."

He gave her one last squeeze, placed a soft kiss on her hair and pulled out of their embrace. George rubbed her arms before walking away from her. Hermione stared out the windows of the shop as Michael's silhouette fade into the distance down the street. She knew she shouldn't indulge herself in the feeling of George standing up for her to Michael, but she just couldn't help herself.

"I should have punched him," she muttered as she walked back to her original task.

* * *

It was February 22, and the day for the Holyhead Harpies and Bulgarian National Quidditch team game had arrived. The residents of the cottage were donned in their Quidditch best, including painted faces, silly hats and noisemakers. Hermione and George shared a laugh in the living room while they waited for Katie to finish getting ready for the game. George had purchased the tickets as part of Katie's Christmas present for the three of them and a date of her choice to enjoy. Today was the day they would finally meet who Katie had been seeing in secret for the past three months.

To say they were excited was an understatement. For the last few days, the two had been pestering their roommate to ensure that her mystery man would indeed be showing up. Katie had promised them that they both had wanted to go public with their relationship and were using Hermione and George as a practice run for their friends and family. Hermione had spoken to her friend about how serious she was getting with this young lad the night before. Katie had explained that this was the first time she could say that she was truly in love. Her heart swelled for her friend.

"We're just going to a Quidditch game, Katie, not a beauty contest," George yelled.

"We're going to be late," Hermione whined.

"Alright, alright," Katie grumbled as she walked down the hall.

Hermione grabbed the lampshade portkey off the couch and held it out for the others to grab. George grabbed onto the object, leaving enough for Katie. She held out her hand, just inches away from the portkey, when Hermione and George ripped through the network and landed in front of the gateway to the game. Without Katie.

"I think she did that on purpose," Hermione complained. "That's why she wanted us to hold onto our tickets!"

George looped Hermione's arm through and began leading her out of the way of visitors landing on her. She wore a scowl on her face even as they gave their tickets to the usher who had lead them to one of the exclusive box seat areas that Ginny had reserved for them. Once they were seated comfortably, George turned to Hermione to tried and calm her down.

"She's got their tickets and she knows where we're being seated. Trust me, Katie's not going to miss this match no matter what," he reassured her.

Hermione was listening, but was having a hard time believe him. She craned her neck to look in the adjacent booths and at the various walkways to see if she could catch a glimpse of their friend. Every brunette with a bun and a painted face looked like Katie. She plopped back in her seat and checked her watched. Ten minutes until the game would start. Impatient, Hermione stood back up and began to search for their friend once more, plotting her demise in her head as she did so.

"Percy? What are you doing here?" George called out.

Hermione twisted around to see Percy for herself, unable to believe he would ever willing watch a live Quidditch game whether his sister was a player or not. Yet, here he was, donned in the Holyhead Harpies fan jersey with a scarf to boot. Her eyes widened at the sight of him. It just seemed so _unnatural_.

"Percy?" She asked slowly, shock evident in her voice.

George and Hermione's O-shaped mouths dropped even further when they saw Katie's hand attached to Percy's as she stepped out from behind him. George plopped down onto his seat on the bench; Hermione couldn't blame him for his weak knees at that point, though. Seeing your studious, stuffy, career-crazed older brother at a sporting event was one thing. Learning that he was also dating one of your best mates was a completely different story. Worry flashed across both Percy and Katie's faces upon seeing their reactions. Hermione knew they needed to recover from the shock soon, but it was just too much information to take in.

"This isn't going to be a problem for you George, is it?"

Katie looked at Percy as he tightened his grip on her hand. Hermione knew Katie and this man that she had been dating were deeply in love. She recalled all of the talks they had while they shopped or enjoyed each other's company in the living room. This wasn't a fleeting fancy for them; this was real. Blinking herself back to reality, Hermione grabbed George's arm and forced him to stand up. She gave him a look, nodded her head slightly in their direction and gave him a signal to say something. She was very relieved when he caught on quickly.

"O-of course it isn't! This is brilliant, actually! I mean, I'm right blustered from the notion, but I couldn't be happier for you two!"

George engulfed both of them in a hug. The breath they had been holding had been pushed out of them by his strong hold as the stressful moment drained from their facial expressions.

"I'm with George," she added as she leaned in to hug each of them. "Hopefully, this means you'll be joining us for dinners at the cottage in the near future?"

"I would love that, actually," Percy responded with a beaming smile.

* * *

George found it very difficult to focus on the game at hand with all of the excitement around him. And by that, he really meant Hermione.

He had known her to attend every Quidditch game during their time in school, but never experienced her enthusiasm for the game up close. Her spirit had rivaled his own for most of the game. He had to confess that he found her undoubtedly intoxicating at that moment. She was lost in the game, but he was lost in her. It didn't help that their box had been so crowded that he and Percy had to stand directly behind the girls for the majority of the game. He couldn't complain, though; every time a player zoomed by or Hermione moved her head, he was given a fluttering whiff of her floral perfume and strawberry hair shampoo.

He glanced over at Katie and Percy to see how the two of them were faring with the game. He knew Percy would be having a hard time keeping up with the game and the minute details that were going on. Katie, however, had been whispering explanations in his ear to explain why the crowd was getting excited at certain moments and not others. After the first hour and a half of this, Percy was beginning to catch up on his own. He had even given George a high-five when the Harpies managed to slip a goal in past the Bulgarian Keeper. During a few lulls in the game, Hermione had leaned back into him to relax from the standing. Instinctively, he would take those moments to wrap his arms around her. It had only happened a couple of times throughout the game (three to be exact) and only for a few minutes at a time (approximately five minutes each time), but he soaked it for what it was worth. He wanted to ignore the sly looks his brother and friend were giving him, but during those moments he just couldn't care. As surreal as it was for George to find himself with such an unlucky crew, he couldn't have been happier.

He chuckled a bit when Hermione grabbed his arm suddenly, but his laughter grew quiet as the crowd realized the snitch was in play and the Seekers had begun their part in the game. The crowd around them seemed to hold their breath. Even the players in the sky had to keep themselves from watching as player raced player for the 150 points needed to declare the final winner. They watched on as the players flew dangerously close to the audience, the fans ducking to avoid losing their heads. A bludger came out from behind another player as the Seekers flew through the middle of the field and hit the Seeker from Bulgaria, narrowly missing the Harpies' Seeker.

They watched as she twisted and turned, edging her broom to get closer each time it tried to pull away further. In a matter of seconds, the player had successfully grabbed the snitch and the Harpies fans erupted in cheers about them. Hermione twisted around and wrapped her arms around George's neck. He lifted her off the ground and swung her back and forth in excitement for the big win. After he set her down on the ground, the group turned into each other for a group hug.

"Let's go for drinks after this, yeah? A round on Percy, ladies!"

The group laughed, and George felt more whole than he had in years.

* * *

A week later, George found himself plopping into the overstuffed, oversized couch at home after a snail-paced day at the shop. Only one person had wandered in all day, so Hermione had sent him home while Verity and her watched the shop. He had insisted that she had been working too late into the night and that she should have been the one to go, but she refused.

"Hermione, how would it look if the head of a PRANK SHOP was working herself down to the bone and not have any fun? It would be bad for business. Please, I'll watch the shop," he had tried to convince her.

"George, you hired me to help and that's what I'm doing. To me, this IS fun! Besides, I'm almost done with my reports. I'll come home once these are done. You've overworked yourself for the past five years; let someone else bear the burden of the stress for a little while you relax. If I'm not mistaken, you were the one who said a little me-time is important. You won't be getting much once we open Hogsmeade's shop," she had countered. "So I suggest you enjoying these opportunities while they last."

Just thinking about the amount of work that would need to go into restoring and setting up that one location made him tired enough to go home without another word said. He closed his eyes and dropped his head against the back of the couch.

"Oy!"

George jumped at the sound of the voice and pointed his wand in the general direction it came from. Quickly, his mind tried to remember if either of the residents remembers to reset all of the security charms the night before. It took him a second before he realized the perpetrator was really just one of his roommate.

"Good Godric, you barmy woman! I could have killed you on accident, or worse."

"Why do you and 'Mione always say that? 'Get killed or worse.' What's supposed to be worse than dying?" Katie paused for a contemplative second before she sat next to him on the couch. "Wait, never mind, I think my patient today might have been the 'or worse' part."

The two friends shared a chuckle as she handed him a cuppa he looked to so desperately need. He graciously took it from her hands and sipped a bit, careful not to burn himself this time. Having missed each other for the last few days, the two friends chatted and caught up to date on her dating Percy and him working with Hermione. Whenever he mentioned their other roommate, a knowing smile crept up and glared him in the face. _'Are you honestly that surprised that she knows?'_ he could hear Fred mock him in his head. _'It's not exactly like you're giving it the Gryffindor all to hide it.'_Deciding that it was better to take fate in his own hands, he gave into Katie and her wordless demands.

"Alright, ask away," he sighed.

"I don't know what your- oh screw it! Tell me everything! Have you kissed her yet?"

Katie started to feign innocence at his words, but quickly gave up in sheer excitement. He couldn't help laughing at his friend's gushing. He thought about her question and found himself subconsciously rubbing his bottom lip at the memory of their first kiss.

"Not since Christmas, but mistletoe kisses don't quite count, yeah?"

He took a chance and looked her in the eye. Rather than the gaping fish expression he expected to see, Katie looked unmoved by his words. He watched as she went into Healer mode, almost as if she were looking for a remedy for his yearning heart.

"Depends on the kiss and whom you're giving it to," she told him softly.

George thought about that statement. In the earlier years of the product's creation and testing, the twins had found themselves under the Lip and Locking Mistletoe with many different birds. Hell, they'd even found themselves stuck under it with their closest of female friends. The Mistletoe didn't require a long, drawn-out romantic kiss, but rather a short and sweet one. Hermione, however, had been the first girl he had willingly thrown himself under it with. That meant something to George. Unlike Fred, he didn't date much and didn't give his heart to just anyone. He was always the calculating one, the one who planned and planned. Like how he planned to have Charlie place the Mistletoe above the doorway earlier that night and how he planned to trap himself under it with Hermione.

"She tasted like candy canes and hot cocoa. I've found myself enjoying those snacks just because it reminds me of her, and I hate that I can't tell her how she makes me feel," he whispered as he stared into the fireplace.

Katie shook her head, never taking her eyes off him. It unnerved him how much she was able to get out of him. These were things he didn't even dare admit aloud to himself. She was the only person he could talk to about this, though. She knew the two of them better than anyone else. Plus, Lee would just take the mickey out of him if he tried having that discussion.

"Oh come off it, George. Course you can!"

"No, I can't. She's not ready yet. Too much has changed in her life and she's still struggling to catch up. Hermione needs to find steady ground. She's there, but not quite yet. When I think she's ready, I'll tell her."

"And what if you never think she's ready?" Katie countered. "Or what if she is ready and someone else gets to her first. Are you tellin' me you're really willing to live with that kind of regret?"

"Yes."

He watched out of the corner of his eye as Katie stood up and walked away from the couch. Suddenly, the room felt colder as he was left with his last word dangling in the air around him. Was he really willing to risk losing her? His stomach churned at the thought of her giving her heart away to someone else that didn't deserve it.

"I just hope you don't end up making the same mistakes as your brother did, because she doesn't deserve that," Katie told him before heading into her room and slamming the door.

Her voice was dripping with venom and he knew he upset her. He had upset himself. George put the coffee down on the table and buried his head in his hands.

* * *

Dinner at the cottage that night had been very quiet, to say the least. George hadn't looked Hermione in the eye since she had come home, and Katie had been shooting him slight glares when she thought Hermione hadn't been looking. The only sounds were of silverware hitting plates angrily and Gred playing with his new mouse toy in the living room. While she had wanted to question what was going on between the two, she had a feeling she didn't want to know.

"So, how was your day off, Katie?" Hermione asked, hoping to break the tension.

"Good," was all she said.

"And you, George?"

"Fine," he answered shortly.

_'Well, that didn't work.'_

They continued to sit in silence. It was starting to drive her mad, but she didn't know what else to do or say. Hermione had learned long ago to let these silences between the two sort itself out. The last time she tried to force them to talk about what was wrong, a huge row had occurred between the two and their excessive arguing went on until late in the morning before they finally gave up due to sheer exhaustion. Katie's fork dropping to her plate broke Hermione out of her thoughts.

"Hermione, what are your plans for Friday night?"

Still focused on slowing her heart rate down from the sudden shock, she tried her hardest to think of what she could say but nothing came to mind.

"Um, well... nothing, I suppose-"

"Great!" Her cheery voice was almost scary. "I have a friend that would love to take you out for a date!"

Hermione watched as George's head popped up to glare at Katie. Confused as to whether or not this had to do with their tension, she pushed Katie to explain further.

"Well, I don't know, Katie. I'm not one for blind dates."

"Oh don't worry! You won't be alone. I have one for George, as well! You guys will be double dating that night!"

Now she understood why George was refusing to look her in the eye. From what Hermione could piece together, she could see that George was somehow conned into this as well.

"Katie, I don't know if that's such a great idea-"

"See, she hates it and I do, too," George interrupted. "It's a terrible idea. Call it off."

"Well, I never said it was a terrible idea-"

"See, George! Hermione's not opposed to the idea so why don't you just suck it up and-"

"We're not going on a double blind date, Katie!"

"Why are you getting so defensive, Georgie?" Katie mocked. "Is there some other reason why you don't want to go on this date?"

His grip on his fork had turned his knuckles white. Hermione could see the tip of George's ear turn bright red, even under his long auburn locks. Anyone who knew a Weasley knew this was a warning sign for an upcoming explosion. Wanting to defuse the ticking bomb before it went off, Hermione placed a gentle hand on George's forearm. She watched as his grip started to relax slightly, and the red of his ear melt to a blushing pink. Hermione let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding and turned to Katie.

"While I don't think it's a good idea, I also don't think it's a terrible one. Clearly, there are worse ideas out there. And while neither of us would have picked this double date as our first choice of activities to kick off the weekend, we appreciate the gesture and will go for you. Isn't that right, George?"

Hermione wanted to smack the gloating smirk Katie wore on the off chance it upset George again. However, he merely looked from girl to girl in shock only to give up when he realized he had lost this round. She patted his arm before retreating her hand. Satisfied, Katie excused herself to put her plate in the sink and retire to her room for the night. Hermione waited until Katie closed the door to her room before she set silencing charms around the kitchen, knowing George would want to start scream. Seeing the impending doom on his facial expression once again, Hermione decided what he needed was a little bit of fun. She really couldn't believe what she was about to say to him.

"Now, George, just because I agreed for us to go on this date did not mean I agreed for us to also be on our best behavior."

She swore she just saw the devil appear in George's face. He went from having a slack jaw to an evil, maniacal grin in the heartbeat it had taken her to say those words. She had almost regretted saying anything at all. George leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms in front of his chest. She couldn't stop her eyes from glancing at his biceps as the sleeves of his shirt hitched up slightly with his movement. Hermione was proud of herself for not letting the heat growing in her chest creep into her cheeks.

"And what, my dear bookworm, do you propose we do?"

"Oh, I don't know," she responded sweetly, looking off into nothing to think. "I'm sure we'll think of something."

* * *

Getting ready for a date was such a new experience for Hermione. Sure, she had gone plenty of dates with Ron, but only a handful had been fancy dinner dates. Switching from friends to more than proved to be an easy transition without the uncomfortable getting-to-know-you questions or the awkward silences. As she worked spells into her hair to tame her unruly curls, she became more and more nervous about what the people they would be meeting tonight were like.

Katie had outright refused to tell George and Hermione what she knew about these two people, stating that it would take away from the element of surprise that came with double dating. So, going in, all they knew were their first and last names and the place they worked at. Hermione would be meeting Glynn Everett, who was an independent Metal Charmer who Percy knew from the Ministry; and George would be meeting Savannah Jordon, who worked with Katie at St. Mungo's Hospital. The names felt like they should have sounded familiar to her, but shouldn't quite place faces to the name.

_'Well, I guess we'll learn soon enough,'_she thought.

Not that it mattered really, though. Hermione was _very_sure that should not meet her soulmate as a result of this double date.

A light knocking was heard from the door of her bathroom. Knowing that Katie had conveniently gone on a date with Percy an hour earlier, the only other person it could be was her redheaded roommate. Hermione signaled George to enter and was shocked at his chosen attire. He had on black dress trousers and a deep blue cardigan that hugged him tightly, exposing muscles she had forgotten he had. His cloak was draped over an arm as he leaned against the doorframe. He looked absolutely handsome and completely edible from the view she had through the mirror. She let out a shaky breath as she tried to prevent a blush from spreading across her cheeks.

A small pang of jealousy burrowed itself in the back of her mind that she tried to quickly dispose of it in fear of it eating away at her all night. It was already bad enough she'd have to sit through an entire meal of him flirting with some scarlet woman pawning after him and deal with how confused that fear made her, she didn't need to be jealous on top of it. The goal tonight was to please Katie and nothing more.

At least, that's what she hoped.

"You almost ready to go, love?"

She really wished he would stop calling her that. The term of endearment had been sweet in the beginning. Since Hermione had begun to experience feelings for him, it had been more of a taunt for things she wanted but knew she couldn't have. She wanted to allow herself to build up hope that Katie and Lee had been right in their assumption that George had feelings for her, but his lack of progression had left her doubtful. Fred and George had always been the more forward of the Weasleys, never shying away from a challenge or a pretty girl. So, why hadn't he gone after her yet?

"Yes. I just need to grab my things," she told him, scrambling to vacate the room quickly.

She needed to get out of there and get those thoughts out of her head. Hermione almost ran chest first into the arm he held out to block the doorframe. Looking up at him, she realized she was so close she could smell his choice of toothpaste on his breath and the musky aftershave he had on his pulse points. She couldn't help her heart from racing like a silly school girl and hoped she wasn't actually blushing, though she knew she was.

"You know, we don't actually have to go through with this. We could just ditch them and hide out in the shop or at Harry's for the rest of the night. She'd never know."

He smile was soft and his voice was low when he spoke. So low was it, that Hermione questioned if he was being sultry with her. She wanted so badly to go along with his plan and forget she had ever agreed to this plan, but she knew they had to.

"As good as that sounds," she said, her tone matching his, "if we don't do this she'll never let us live this down and set us up on a dozen more where this came from. Knowing her, each would end worse than the last."

He nodded slowly and dropped his arm from her path. Hermione scooted past him and grabbed her bag and cloak from her bed.

"Did you remember to pack the tricks?" She threw over her shoulder as she exited her bedroom.

"Yes, dear."

This was going to be a long night.

* * *

And a long night it was. George had actually begun to contemplate stabbing himself in the arm with his fork just so he had an excuse to run away and never see these people again. His date was just the kind of girl he knew Katie would have set him up with: she could hold an in depth conversation with a broom, and the way she spoke sounded like her head was quickly losing air. She had a high-pitched voice, and every sentence she seemed to say sounded more like a question. George let out a deep high as Savannah continued to speak endlessly about her slight distaste on the color shade of choice in regards to her work robes.

"Or maybe it's more of a minty green. In the hospital, it's a bit more of a pale sage green. When they dim the lights in the halls at night, the greens seemed to get darker. Maybe they're color-changing robes!" He heard her giggle.

He gave her the best fake laugh he could muster, grateful when she turned her head. He instantly rolled his eyes and let out a bigger sigh. He slumped back in his chair and down the last bit of his wine. George had completely lost his patience with the people around him. He wasn't even trying to hide it at this point.

Hermione wasn't doing much better on the other side of the table. Glynn was bragging about the snitches he had produced over the past five years that were in memorable Quidditch games. Part of him wondered if she had eaten one of the Daydream Charms at the beginning of their dinner; her eyes had glazed over and she was nodding her head exactly every three minutes to ensure she was still feigning attention. The two friends had barely spoken the entire night opting instead to drink. At that moment, Savannah had let out a loud girly squeal and somewhere to the right of him another one was heard. As his date ran over to her friend for hugs and conversation, Glynn had chosen this moment to excuse him from the table to use the loo.

"If we don't prank someone soon, I'm going to lose my head," he whispered harshly to her.

"You're right," she sighed tiredly as her shoulders sank. "It's like watching a train wreck. You want to look away, but you just can't help watching regardless. If I have to listen to one more bloody story about how highly he thinks of his craftsmanship - if you can even call it that - I'm going to start drinking until I pass out in my seat. By all means, have at it."

Hermione reached into her clutch next to her on the table and pulled out a small bag, handing it to George. He was actually surprised she didn't reach in to grab something, figuring she would want to keep control on what pranks he used. Grateful for the vote of confidence in her moment of weakness, George dove into the bag and reach for whatever he could grab. It didn't really matter at this point what he used, just as long as he used something.

"Welcome back, you two!" He heard Hermione cheer unnaturally.

George shoved the bag under the table trying to not seem suspicious. Hermione rolled her eyes at him. He knew he had been quite obviously hiding something, but neither date questioned his actions. George reached his hand in the bag again and tried to feel his way around the back for something that felt familiar. Unfortunately, every treat he drew he grabbed felt the same. He finally just grabbed two candies that felt the most different from each other and pulled them out from the bag to look at them below the table. Pleased with his selections, he scooted just a bit in his seat and placed them on the chair beside him, keeping them ready for just the opportune moment.

He wished he had taken the seat next to Hermione instead of allowing Glynn to force them to seating on one side with the girls on the other side. He wanted to plan this out with her, but all of their heads were completely hidden behind the oversized menus. A younger girl with a foul expression on her face came up to the table and recited the specials for the evening in a monotone voice before asking for their orders.

"I will be having the steak, well done. My date here will be having the crusted chicken salad," Glynn told the waitress after Savannah and George had placed their orders.

_'Wrong move, mate.'_

"Got it," the waitress muttered as the quill wrote the order down for her.

"No, I won't," Hermione protested, but the waitress had already walked away from the table.

"Don't worry your pretty little head off, dear. I come here all the time. You'll love the salad. All the ladies do. Isn't that right, Savannah?"

"I love the salads because I can still fit in my pretty dress robes the next day," Savannah chimed in, so proud of herself for being able to chime in.

"See? You'll love it."

Hermione crossed her arms in front of her and leaned back in her chair, a deep scowl on her face. George knew that this was not a look you wanted directed towards yourself. He knew she was working a plan out in her head and was it was not going to be pretty. '_That's my girl.'_

Dinner had arrived a short time later, and the occupants of the table were far too busy to converse with each other as they wolfed down their food. Hermione, George had noticed, had been shoving the food down her throat and smacking her lips as she ate. It was completely uncharacteristic of her normally dainty eating habits. As he raised an eyebrow at her questioning her behavior; he caught the quick wink she sent his way before continuing to eat like a wild beast. Following her lead, George downed the last of his butterbeer and let out a belch that nearly silenced the whole restaurant. Their dates gave them each very confused looks before trying to start conversations in order to ignore their terrible table manners.

The waitress came around a few minutes later to take their dessert order. Before George and Hermione could protest, Glynn had ordered a chocolate cake with fresh raspberries and two forks for them to share, while Savannah had ordered the crème brûlée, which also happened to be the most expensive item on the menu. _'If I was a pretty girl on a terrible date with someone I knew I was never going to see again, I'd rack up the slip as well,' _he mused. Their waitress returned a few minutes later with their desserts. The second Glynn and Savannah looked away, he placed each treat atop the desserts to look like they were a natural part of the dish.

"What's this on the cake?" Glynn asked.

"It seems to be a little something extra," Hermione explained as she examined the dessert herself. "Must be compliments of the chef. Perhaps he knows we're on a double date and wanted to make the desserts double special?"

George rolled his eyes at Hermione's terrible cover-up. She shrugged at him slightly and gave him a look that read, "Well, what was I supposed to say?" George made a mental note to work on her delivery of pranks over the weekend. Savannah hadn't even questioned the treat on her crème brûlée as she picked the piece up to eat it whole. Out of the corner of his eye, George watched as Glynn picked up the piece and held it seductively in front of Hermione's mouth.

"Go on, love," he whispered to her. "Take a bite."

"Um, no thank you. I'm actually terribly lactose intolerant, you see. Can't have a drop of chocolate in me."

Hermione placed her hands in between her and the invading prank treat. Glynn retreated his hand in disappointment before popping the treat in his mouth. Her demeanor as he swallowed flipped instantly.

"So, Hermione," Glynn spoke after swallowing. "How did a member of the infamous Golden Trio find herself as co-business owner at a joke shop? Didn't you used to work at the ministry yourself?"

"It's a prank shop. And it's a long story," she said with a flat tone.

"We have time," Glynn shrugged as he took another bite.

"What time is it?"

"Seven-thirty."

"No, we don't."

"How do you mean?"

George couldn't help but chuckle a bit behind his hand as he watched their interactions. Hermione leaned forward in her seat to word her threat at Glynn slowly and low-toned.

"That is for being an arrogant git and for ordering for me. Respected women make their own decisions in life. It would do you well to remember that the next time you go out with a woman like me instead of a girl like Savannah."

Before Glynn could get a word in edgewise, he promptly fainted and his face landed square in the chocolate cake he had been about to start eating. Hermione didn't even flinch when small bits of cake splattered everywhere.

"Is he alright?" Savannah squeaked.

"He'll be fine in ten minutes," Hermione waved her hand as she started gathering her things to leave. "Besides, you should be far more concerned for yourself at the moment."

Savannah's eyes grew wide at the notion Hermione made about her safety. Instead of the cursing and swearing at Hermione he was sure she intended to do, large bubbles began to pop out of her mouth. As they popped in the air, her voice was heard singing her original insults.

"You're right, George," Hermione confessed as they stood from the table. George threw a few galleons on the table to cover their portion of the meal and helped Hermione put her cloak on. "Insults are much more amusing when sung."

"I know, love."

* * *

Hermione and George plopped onto the couch the second they came home. Excited by their entrance, Gred bounded into the room and snuggled into Hermione's lap. The growing kitten purred and fell asleep as soon as Hermione began rubbing his little head.

"I told you that was a terrible idea," he gloated.

"We couldn't have known that for sure beforehand. For all we knew, they could have been lovely people and would have been great matches for us."

"This is Katie and Percy settin' us up on these dates. They were not going to be much better than they were."

Silence filled the room as the two friends tried their hardest to wind down from the evening's events.

"I completely forgot to tell you what happened yesterday! A kid walked into the store, his skin orange as your kitchen, screaming the word 'Eigengrau!' at the top of his lungs! I didn't even know our Lick-A-Lingo Lollipops included German!"

"They didn't," she said lazily. "I added a few languages in when I made the latest batch. I included it in the product update notes I gave you after we did inventory. You should really start ready that, you know."

George flicked his hand in her general direction.

"Eh, I trust you. Great addition, by the way."

"Thank you! I thought so."

The pair slipped back into their comfortable silence. Hermione focused on the sounds of the ocean outside the little cottage as she lost herself in her thoughts.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Hermione lifted her head off the couch to look at him. He looked at her like she looked at books; he was attentive and she almost felt like she was being studied. She didn't have very many particular thoughts in mind at that moment, though. Books she wanted to buy. The quality of the food at the restaurant that evening. _Him_.

"Nothing," she lied. "What about you?"

"Just that your cover-up at dinner was atrocious."

Hermione gasped and swatted at him with the closest pillow she could grab. Not liking the sudden movement, Gred jumped off Hermione and ran to lay in his bed near the fireplace.

"I wasn't that bad!"

"You were awful! If anything you only raised more suspicion to yourself. What if that had been a well-thought out prank that involved steps and scheming! You would have gotten us caught!"

They laughed as they recalled their performances at dinner.

"Well, I really should be off to bed," Hermione said as she yawned.

"So soon? But it's early yet! Don't tell me you've turned into an old spinster already," he teased her.

She didn't want to go to bed, but she found herself unable to stay in the room with him much longer. As she looked at him from her side of the couch, all she wanted to do was curl into him and lay there for the rest of her days. The distance between them was beginning to get to her.

"You know what we haven't done for some time now? We haven't read together. Wasn't there a book you had that you wanted to finish up?" George jumped up from the couch and began heading to his room. "You grab that book, I'll grab my notes, and we'll just hang out for a bit reading? Sound good? Sounds good."

George disappeared into his room before Hermione had a chance to protest. 'Well, I actually did want to finish that book.' Before she knew it, she was already en route to her own room to grab her book from her massive collection. Hermione quickly changed out of her evening dress into her comfortable sweats and a Harpies shirt she purchased when Ginny made the team. When she came back into the living room, she found that George had been thinking the same as her. She found him already engrossed in a page of his notes, lounging in his own sweats and Cannon's shirt.

He smiled at her and patted the space on the couch directly next to him. He held his arm out as she sat down, curling her legs underneath her. George's arm pulled her into his side. Hermione couldn't help being tense at first as she adjusted to the closeness, but soon relaxed. It wasn't long before the book fell from her hands and onto her lap as she drifted to sleep in his arms, just as she had wanted.


	12. The Correlation of Salvation and Love

**Chapter 12: The Correlation of Salvation and Love**

The day was just beginning for the employees of Weasley Wizard Wheezes. It had been busy at the shop dealing with the high amount of orders that came in from their customers wanting last minute pranks for April Fools Day tomorrow, as it was every year since their grand opening. The majority of orders were coming in from the students of their alma mater.

George went through the tags of each of the boxes that were to be owled later that day and crossed the names off his long list. The counter had overflowed with packages, most of them ending up on the floor. Hermione sent out a large number of orders with their company owls earlier that day. There had been so many and most of them had been so heavy that their owls had flat out refused to haul anymore until later that evening. Lee had already run out to take the second round of packages to the owlery for delivery, which George knew he would be charged an arm and a wand for as it was. He shook his head when he thought of the extra fees he'd have to deal with for the added service.

"And this is the last of them," Verity cheered as she stacked the last of the owl orders for the Hogwarts students on the counter next to him.

"For now, at least," George grumbled.

"Oh, don't be such an ol' stick in the mud, Georgie," Hermione chuckled as she pulled the accounted packages off the counter.

These packages were for the locals, and George had been glad. Verity and Hermione had offered to walk this lot to the customers rather than put any more owls under duress. He set the clipboard and quill on his lap, and rubbed his face with his hands. They were dry, ashy and cracked from touching the boxes and their wrapping for three hours straight. The sound of his empty stomach growling for the tenth time in the past 45 minutes made his sour mood worse. He knew he had no reason to take his grouchy mood on his cheerful employees, but he couldn't help the feeling of hatred that bubbled every time they spoke.

"I'm starved," Hermione yelled from the other side of the room. "We should order takeaway from somewhere. If you guys pick the place, I'll go get it and take some of these orders out while I'm at it."

"I'll grab the menus from the office," he grumbled as he hopped off the counter and moved swiftly past Verity.

George tried to avoid looking at the spare desk as he entered the room. During the holidays, he could deal with the loss of his twin better knowing that it was a loss his whole family would share in. His birthday, however, made him feel more and more alone as the years went forward. This was the fifth birthday he would be celebrating by himself.

He was trying hard not to let his past get to the best of him, though. He had made a promise to himself and Hermione that this year was about regaining pieces of themselves that they lost along the way. The closer it got to his birthday, the harder it was to keep that promise. He had to give credit where credit was due though. Hermione had been giving it her all to keep his spirits high and his mind off what once was. Still, she couldn't be there to hold his hand every step of the way, and he couldn't expect her to.

George stopped trying to look for the menus and leaned against the desk with his hands on the surface, his head down as he tried to keep his emotions in check. He knew Fred wouldn't want him to be like this. They lived in the moment and go what they wanted. They didn't hesitate and they didn't regret. That was the Weasley twins' MO. When had he become such a coward? When had he allowed himself to digress away from what they were. He felt ashamed as he thought of how disappointed Fred would have been in him if he were still alive. Here George was, sulking and pitying himself in his office when the girls of his dreams was just outside the doors. For Merlin's sake, his birthday was tomorrow and the one holiday on the calendar that fueled their business year round. This was his chance to do something fantastic to help remember his brother!

George reached into his pocket for a piece of chocolate he had stashed aside and threw it into his mouth. He turned around and took two steps away from the desk, ready to head back outside. A picture of he and Fred next to the door stopped him. It had been a long time since he allowed himself to notice that photo. It had been taken when they had originally opened their store, with them outside the front doors cheering and jumping around like the 17-year old idiots they were. He missed those days.

"Hey George, did you pick a menu ye- George, are you alright?"

Hermione walking through the open door tore him from his thoughts. Without even thinking, he walked straight to her and pulled her into his arms and felt her arms on his back a heartbeat later. He calmed significantly the second she was this close to him. She had always thought of him as her stable entity in life. In reality, he was only stable because she believed he could be.

"Thank you," he whispered into her hair.

"It's going to be ok, George. I promise you. I know it seems tough now, but you just have to try. He would want you to."

"I know. It's just hard. I really don't know how to thank you enough for being here. I don't want to think about where I'd be if I hadn't shown up at your door that night."

"You'd be here because that's what you do George. You fight and you move forward because you always have. Not everything was lost when you lost him.

He thought about her words carefully. He wanted to believe that he would have been able to survive to the point he was at now. He thought about the conversation they had the weekend prior after their horrible double dates that that Katie and Percy had set them up on. He had told her that certain things happened because they were destined to happen and he had to believe what he spoke. He believed at that moment that he was always meant to be here in this moment with her.

George pulled away and stuck his hands in her pocket, suddenly feeling shy in front of the girl that knew more about him than anyone else did. He thought about the words he wanted to use carefully because he knew he might only have one chance to do this.

"Hermione..." he started, not quite knowing how to stop.

"Yeah, George?"

He was lost in her eyes the moment he started to think. His thinking stop and suddenly he found himself getting pulled into the pools of chocolate in her eyes. Her lips were parted slightly, hanging onto the breath he released in the form of her name. Was he dreaming at that moment? Was the universe pulling him towards her, or her to him? He couldn't tell if he was leaning first or if she had, but he couldn't bring himself to quite care at that moment. All he could tell was that she was wearing that floral perfume again that drew him in like a love potion and suddenly her tongue was darting out ever so softly to moistened her lips and-

"Oy, are you two going to pick a menu or what?!" Lee yelled as he stomped into the room. He let out a quiet gasp and turned quickly on his heels to run out of the room.

George sent daggers to the back of Lee's head and hoped he would trip and break a limb for ruining the moment he was having.

"I'll just pick up a round of fish and chips for everyone at the Cauldron, yeah? Who doesn't love fish and chips? I'm just going to go now," Hermione rambled quickly before following behind Lee.

"No, Hermione! Wait!"

"What, George?"

He froze. He didn't know what to say, didn't know what to do. All he could do was look at her as she said his name over and over and over and...

"George! Oy, you there?"

George snapped out of his thoughts and realized he was still standing, facing the door. Only Hermione wasn't standing in front of him, Lee was.

"You alright, mate? You were just standing there staring at the door."

He looked from Lee to the doorway, still slightly confused as to what had just happened before realizing he must have accidentally eaten one of the Daydreams he hid in his cloak for the double date he and Hermione went on two weeks prior.

"Yeah," he told him, still trying to wake up. "Thought I was eating a piece of chocolate. I see now that that was clearly not the case. I must have taken so many of them over the years that I don't even notice them kick in. I'll have to include that in the notes."

Lee leaned against George's desk and crossed his arms over his chest. He wanted nothing more than to smack the knowing smirk off his face. At that moment, George hoped beyond hope that he hadn't said anything stupid or made any funny motions while under the charm's effects.

"So..."

"So what?" He sighed.

"How was it?" Lee wagged his eyebrows. "Was _she_good?"

"Shut it, you wanker! She might bloody hear you!"

"Oh, relax mate. She and Verity went to delivery a few packages while we decided where to order lunch. I'll just let her know you're already ready for dessert."

George grabbed the stack of menus off the desk and headed towards the door. He never could stand being in that room for very long.

"I hate you so much sometimes."

"Yeah, but what would you do without me?"

"Live a quieter life," he said over his shoulder as he left the office.

George and Lee shifted through the pile of menus at the counter as they helped the steady stream of customers that had been coming in and out of the store since the girls left. Lee had been making snide remarks and innuendo jokes with every menu item he read.

"The sausages here are pretty good," George pointed out a food cart menu.

"Did she like your sausage, George?"

"What about this place?" He asked holding up a menu for a Muggle cafe. "Hermione loves their sticky buns."

"Are your sticky buns not enough for her?"

"Hogsmeade has this new restaurant that serves bangers and mash," he spoke with a dry tone as he gave Lee one final opening line.

"You want to give her the ol' bangers and mash." George stared incredulously at Lee's comment.

"Now I know how Fred felt when I made the 'I'm holey' joke. Out of all the ones to go with, _that_was the joke you used? You're done mate, we're getting fish and chips."

* * *

Hermione and Verity had chosen to go separate ways with the deliveries to cover more ground. The faster they could deliver the packages, the sooner they could back to the shop for lunch. She was very grateful for the use magic at the moment; each woman had taken a little over twenty boxes in varying sizes out to the Diagon Alley customers, but most of them had been large and heavy. Hermione was down to one package when she heard someone in the distance calling out her name. When she turned to look, Katie and Percy had been running up to catch her.

"We've been calling your name for the past couple of minutes! Are you deaf?" Katie joked.

"Just lost in thoughts of delicious food and tasty drinks! What are you guys doing out here?"

"We needed to talk to you about the plans for tomorrow," Percy said quietly. "Where's George at?"

Catching his drift, Hermione did a quick glance around them to make sure he wasn't lurking anywhere nearby.

"He must still be at the store. We'll talk in just a second, though. This is my final stop. Let me just run inside and we can talk on the walk back to the shop."

Hermione stopped in front of Flourish & Blotts to deliver a package of Reusable Hangmans boxes for the owners, who enjoyed playing the game during their slower days. As soon as the items were handed over and she was given proper payment, she tucked her wand in her back pocket and headed for the exit. Her eyes adjusted quickly to the bright March sunlight, but it's heat was leaving something to be desired. She made a mental note to discuss short-sleeve options in the uniforms with George upon her return as she joined her friends for the long walk back to the shop.

"So far, we have the decorations all ready to go, the food has been ordered, the drinks are well hidden, the invites have been passed out and everyone knows their parts," Percy listed off excitedly.

"Gin just owled me this morning and told me that she, Harry and Ron got time off for the evening. Percy chatted with Bill this morning and he told him he'd be stopping by for a bit. The gang's all going to be there as well. Really, the only people not quite accounted for are everyone's dates," Katie added.

Hermione went through her mental check list to make sure they had all of their bases covered when she remembered one last key thing.

"Oh, Merlin! We forgot to put someone in charge of distracting George!"

All three friends stopped in the middle of the road and looked at each other. In all of the details they had lost themselves in, hiding the birthday boy from his surprise party at the house he lived in was the one thing they didn't account for. Hermione slapped her palm to her forehead and mentally betrated herself for forgetting such an important factor.

"I told you both that we should have had the party at Ginerva and Harry's house. Then, all we had to do was get him over there. It would have been much simpler."

Katie slapped Percy's arm for his know-it-all attitude. Hermione knew he had the day off and always refused to go into the store on the day of his birthday. Verity had offered to watch the shop for the day and planned to close up early in order to make it in time for the party. She knew there was really only one person that would be able to distract him and keep him out of the house for six hours straight: herself.

"I'll do it," she offered.

Katie and Percy smiled at eachother before smiling back at her.

"Why did I have a funny feeling you would?" Katie joked with her.

"Probably because you're horribly evil and somehow planned for this to happen," Hermione spat. "Nonetheless, I'll make sure he keeps busy. I've had an idea for an invention for quite sometime that I might be able to distract him long enough with, but I don't know if that could get him out of the house."

"You could always drag him shopping with you," Percy suggested.

"No, that won't work. She can't stand shopping for that long either."

"What about grabbing food?"

"For six hours, hon? What the hell are they to eat for six hours straight?"

"Well, I don't know! I'm only trying to help. This is why I don't try to help, I always get yelled at."

"It's ok, Percy. I'm sure I'll think of something. I've had an idea for a product invention that I've been wanting to try to create for some time now. I know he hates working on his birthday, but this one might be good enough to distract him. Add in a few work breaks, and we just might have ourselves a fesible plan here. I really need to get back inside before they send out a search party looking for me. I was due back nearly fifteen minutes ago as it were. I'll see you both back at the house tonight, yeah?"

The friends hugged and said their goodbyes. Hermione waited until Katie and Percy apparated away before continuing her trek to the store and towards her much deserved lunch.

The store had been surprisingly empty when she came in. George, Lee and Verity had been lounging around the counters and were already engrossed in their meals by the time she reached them.

"I'm glad to see you guys could wait for me," she joked halfheartedly. Not waiting for a response, Hermione jumped up on the counter to sit next to George and steal one of his chips.

"Oy! There's a box right over there for you. No need to take mine!"

"Well, that's what you get for not waiting for me," she told him as she stole another chip and bumped his shoulder with hers. Verity handed her the box of food, laughing at their antics.

As she ate and listened to jokes going back and forth between the boys, Hermione thought about her plans for George the next day. _'This is going to be very interesting.'_

* * *

Hermione woke up very early on April 1st. Partially because she had a slight fear that George would have booby-trapped the house with pranks, and partially because she wanted to beat him to the punch. Working with George had brought out a very devious side of Hermione that she wasn't aware she had.

Gred followed as she tiptoed out into the living room, she saw that she wasn't the only one with pranking in mind. Katie had her back towards the hallway - a rookie mistake, Hermione knew - and she was planning on taking full advantage of it. Hermione turned to face Gred and made a shhing motion to him. She snuck up behind her roommate and just stood very close behind her, not breathing a word. When Katie turned around, Hermione was glad she still had her accute reflexes to cover Katie's mouth to prevent her from screaming.

"Merlin, 'Mione! You nearly scared the magic right out of me!"

"Sorry, but it had to be done," she laughed as she stepped back from her friend. "So, what pranks have you laid out already that I should look out for?"

Katie's face grew a smirk as she began listing all of the pranks she had laid out already.

"Avoid the milk in the fridge, I spoiled it first thing. Also, the bowls all have tiny holes in them so everything will drain out as soon as it's been filled. I'll fix them once George has fallen for it. I've just removed the springs on the left side of the couch so he'll sink all the way in when he sits. I've also placed a sticking charm on his door knob from the inside so we'll know when he's up. What about you?"

Hermione nodded her head, impressed with Katie's accomplishments thus far. She looked around the room, trying to decide what more she wanted to add to the list.

"Last night, I placed a shrinking charm on his cloak so it'll shrink two sizes as soon as he puts in on. Other than that, I hadn't thought of much else. I'm still a bit new at this," she confessed.

"Don't worry, love. I'll be glad to show you the ropes!"

Katie followed Hermione into the kitchen as she prepared Gred's breakfast for him, unable to stand anymore of his excessive meowing and worried that he would wake the sleeping giant. The two discussed possible pranks that they could play on their friend, but they were running out of ideas quickly. How do you prank one of the greatest pranksters who ever graced the Wizarding world?

"We have to make sure we keep track of everything we do," she reminded Katie. "It wouldn't be good for us to forget one and accidentally get one of our guests."

"Are you kidding me? George would absolutely love that!"

Rustling from the hallway disturbed their conversation. The girls froze in their spot and smiled at each other. Let the games begin.

Calmly, Hermione took her mug of tea out of the kitchen and headed for her usual spot in the living room. She could hear George's tired grumbling as he continued to fumble with his door before stopping suddenly. Confused, Hermione stopped to stare at his door in the hallway. The loud _crack!_noise of his apparating behind her roughly made her jump a little.

"Think yourselves quite funny don't you?" George grumbled sleepily.

She turned around and was ready to rub it in his face that they bested him, but the sight of his tanned and defined chest in her face seemed to have bested her. She tried her hardest to stop the blush creeping into her cheeks, but failed noticeably.

"Like what you see, love," he taunted her, but she still had some of her wits about her.

"Oh, you mean the grumpy face of a certain birthday boy who was bested by his roommates with a simple sticking charm? Why yes, I like it quite much actually."

"It's my birthday and I don't have to take this. I'm going to the kitchen for a nice bowl of cereal," he pouted as he headed for the kitchen.

"Sounds like a good idea. I could use a refill on my tea."

Hermione followed closely, not wanting to miss any of the action. She was having a hard time not bursting into laughter by the sheer thought of how easily he was falling for the simple pranks they had laid out.

Sure enough, George headed straight for the cupboards to grab a bowl and a box of the muggle cereal he often had Hermione purchase him from the stores in London.

"Well, hullo there, birthday boy!" Katie greeted him.

George threw a wave over his shoulder at her as he dove for the milk in the fridge. 'This is almost too easy,' she mused. He didn't begin pouring the milk in the bowl until he joined the girls at the table. They could see the milk slowly draining from the bowl and onto the table, but he didn't seem to notice the levels lowering as he dipped his spoon in for a bite. He paused with the spoon hovering in front of his mouth when he noticed they were staring at him.

"What? What did you do to the cereal?" He questioned.

The milk was creeping its way towards the edge of the table and was about to spill all over his lap. If he didn't take the bite soon, the best part of the prank might be ruined.

"You're acting stupid," Katie quickly recovered. "Just eat your cereal and shut up."

George made a funny face and stuck the spoon in his mouth. Hermione was actually quite surprised he didn't even notice the funny smell emitted from the bowl. She briefly wondered if Katie might have spoiled the milk a bit too much. Still, he took the bit in stride but quickly spat everything out onto the table in front of them as the taste settled onto his tongue. The girls began to laugh as he did so and it quickly turned into cackling as the milk finally tipped over the edge and splashed all over his lap. He nearly fell out of the chair when he jumped in surprise.

"Let me guess," he groaned. "Holes in the bowl and spoiled milk?"

The girls could barely breathe, let alone talk, and simply nodded their responses as they leaned on each other for support as they continued in their laughter.

"I see. I just fell for the oldest tricks in the book. I'm just going to go... marinate in shame now," he muttered as he left the kitchen in search for dryer clothes, only making the girls laugh harder. Gred felt he was much safer going with George back to his room with him when Katie fell out of her seat and landed next to him on the floor.

Hermione waited until the door to the kitchen stopped swinging to jump out of her seat and scan the room for any pairs of Extendable Ears. While pranking the Prank Master on his birthday had been an added jem to their morning, they had much more important issues to discuss. Hermione pushed the door open slightly just in time to see him enter the bathroom and hear the bath water running. She abandoned her spot at the door and rushed to George's freshly cleaned seat at the table across from Katie.

"Ok, now to get down to business."

"Yes! What are you planning to do with George today?"

"No idea."

Katie gave Hermione a very incriminating look.

"Look, I know what you're going to say-"

"Hermione!" Katie harshly whispered. "You're supposed to get him out of the house all day. What the hell are you going to do, wing it? We all know that's not exactly your strong suit."

"I will have you know that I am _very_good at winging it-"

"Fifth year, Centaurs, Umbridge."

"I'm never going to live that down, am I? You all know you would have done the same, so don't give me any cheek."

"All I'm saying is that you're the planning type. You go into life with a gameplan, pie charts and statistics. George is very strong willed, and if you don't have a least a starting and end point ready he will see right through you." Katie reminded Hermione of a war general preparing his soldier for the next step. "Here's how this is going to go. We've spoiled his meal, so he's not going to believe anything we give him will be safe. You're going to take him out for breakfast to a Muggle cafe so he'll be relaxed knowing he won't be severely pranked. After that, maybe there's a new book you need and so you take him shopping with you."

"I do need to pick up a new book at Flourish and Blotts."

"Then after that, you suggest visiting the park. It's surprisingly great weather today. Take him for a walk."

"Wait, that's still too much time left unkilled."

"Exactly. So, you bring him back here. It'll end any suspicions he might have about there being a party for him. We'll do a group house clean up until lunch. Percy's already standing by to bring a lunch that Mrs. Weasley's making us. During lunch, tell him about that new product you want to make."

"Yes! And when he asks to go to the basement to work on it I'll tell him that his birthday presents from us are down there and that we should work on it at the shop. He'll be so excited about the product that he won't even think twice about it. I've figured out the majority of the logistics for the experiment, and we should be done in about four hours. Once we're done, I just keep him there and hang out with him before dinner time!"

And so the rest of the day went as planned. Even down to the number of hours needed for the experiment for the Truth Trousers. The Truth Trousers was a product Hermione was inspired about during the Double Date Disaster, as she and George had dubbed it, when she thought about the load of crap she heard from Glynn and the lying prick Michael Spritzer was. As Glynn rambled on about how great he was at metal charming, she had been reminded of something George had joked about a few nights prior.

"How can you tell that someone's a compulsive liar? I mean, assuming that their pants aren't on fire," he jokingly asked her.

George had been so excited when Hermione bounded into his room after lunch to tell him in private about her first prank product creation. Sure, she had assisted him with various products he had conceptualized and worked on, but she had never gone through the process from beginning to end before.

He had been a great teacher as he explained the full process and the importance each step had. There were rules they had to follow with each creation, and a checkoff list they had to go through to ensure the item was not only ready for the public, but was marketable as well. Hermione was quite impressed with the level of organization he had in place. They even had a blast testing out the product once they were completely sure the flame being emitted from the trousers would not harm the person wearing them. Hermione had the unfortunate pleasure of being engulfed in flames entirely when she had volunteered to try on the trousers first. It had been set to change the size of the flame depending on the size of the lie. The bigger the lie, the bigger the flame was. The flames were not meant to get higher than the wearer's chest. Luckily, they had successfully charmed the flames to not hurt. The height of the flames had been what threw them the most.

"You're not dead."

"Nope," she sighed with relief.

"Congratulations!"

"For the record, I blame you."

"What?! It was your idea to test it first to begin with!"

"Well, you should've talked me out of it!"

"Oh, come now, love. What's life without a little adventure?"

"Safe?"

Once their testing had been completed, Hermione realized she had to act quickly as they still had two hours left before they were due back at the cottage and knew that George would want to be heading home soon.

"Alright, love," he said as he gathered his things. "I think we're all done for the day. What do you say we get out of here and head home?"

"Why don't we stop at Leaky for a few drinks first? It is your birthday, after all. Wouldn't be celebrating it well if we didn't have at least one. Plus, I really don't feel like going home just yet."

"What's this? Ickle Hermy Granger wants to drink before dinner? Well, I can hardly say no to that, now can I?"

"You're impossible, George."

"Yes, but you love me because of it."

George held his arm out for Hermione to take and the pair made their way to the Leaky Cauldron for their drinks. The pub's regulars were all in attendance, scattered at random tables all over the place. The bar itself was quite empty, so the two found seats at the end and ordered a simple round of butterbeer.

"To you, George," Hermione said as she raised her glass to him in a toast. "May you get a plethora of gifts from your loved ones and have continued success as you open your next location in Hogsmeade. You are a wonderful friend, and I am very grateful to have such a wonderful man in my life such as yourself."

George raised his glass and tapped the edge against Hermione's, taking a drink at the same time she did. He set his glass down on the table, a thoughtful expression on his face had replaced the cheerful one he had worn just moments ago. He surprised her when he grabbed her hand. The way he held it was gentle and so meaningful that her heart felt like it had skipped a beat. He said nothing as he played with her fingers.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

He finally tore his eyes away from hands to look her in the eye. Unlike the last time they had shared such an intimate moment, Hermione could definitely see the love in his eyes at the moment. It scared her. They had an hour and a half left before they were to arrive at the party and now was not the time to possibly start talking about them as an _us._

"Thank you," was all he said.

"I told you to stop thanking me already, George."

"No, I'm thanking you because this was all I wanted for my birthday. Just to spend a quiet day with you, maybe get a pint and just relax. As far as I'm concerned, my day is complete."

Hermione blushed at his words. She thought back to the night Lee joined her and her friends for dinner and spoke of these moments being the best, the build up to something more. It was moments like this that she cherished. She had accepted the possibility of something more with George and welcomed it with open arms, but she wasn't going to push it like she had with Ron in her younger days. If there was anything George had taught her, it was to cherish every moment and catalog the memory for later down the road to enjoy. And enjoy she was.

"I know I keep saying this, but I really don't know what I'd have done without you, Hermione." His voice was low and quiet as his eyes bore into hers. "You helped me find reasons to smile and create and experience life. I haven't felt this at home with someone since Fred died. If anything, I should be toasting to you, but we both know that would be silly since it's my birthday."

Hermione laughed and realized that the reason their hands haven't parted was because she couldn't bring herself to let go either. There were a million reasons to let go and only one that she needed to hold on: she didn't want to.

"There you both are!" Katie called out from somewhere behind them.

Hermione made to drop George's hand, but his firm grip prevented her from doing so. She was grateful when Katie never made a comment or joke about how she found them. Instead, she ordered three shots of Firewhiskey for their little group and announced that they would toast to George since they were already in the presence of alcohol. George slowly let go of Hermione's hand to allow the other to take their glasses. Her hand felt so much colder than it had and she instantly missed his presence there.

"To George, and his impeccable timing. For without it, our little family would not be what it is today."

"And to Fred." George's addition had stunned the girls. "To the second greatest prankster to have ever graced this lifetime. May he have as much fun and success pranking the spirits of our friends and family up there as I am down here with the living."

"Cheers," their voices rang as they tapped their glasses.

Katie threw a few galleons on the table to cover their tab and dragged George and Hermione back to the store to floo back home with the promise of a fulfilling dinner waiting for them on the table.

* * *

He wished he could say that he had been surprised as he landed at home just after the girls had. Unfortunately, he overheard their conversation two weeks prior about the party and had been expecting it ever since. Still, he had thoroughly appreciated the effort they had applied to get this setup and he wasn't about to ruin their fun. He did his best at playing the part of a surprised guest of honor. He accepted the party hat the girls had forced him to wear, and even blew a party horn here and there. It was exhausting him, though. All parties did that to him these days.

Hermione did her best to keep him alive and happy. For that, he was very grateful. If he spent too long with a group of friends she would rush him off to a different group. If a group or person was asking uncomfortable questions, then she'd make up a kitchen emergency and allow him a few moments to escape the crowds. A few hours in, the two had somehow started working the room together. At one point, they managed to trick Lee into taking three shots back to back of a clear liquid alcohol while Hermione poured George's with water when no one was looking. After that, Hermione snuck a stash of pranks from the shop into his hand. She gave him a quick wink as she walked away to leave him to his devices. By the time she returned, two people had enlarged tongues and one person couldn't stop fainting. She even managed to trick Percy into taking a shot of Firewhiskey by making it look like butterbeer from the outside. He didn't know where this side of Hermione was coming from, but he loved it.

Later on that night, Katie and Percy had turned up the music for a little bit of dancing fun. George and his brothers moved the furniture out of the way to turn the living room into a dance floor. They had put up Christmas lights on the inside of the house to give it a soft evening glow as day turned to night. Lee had pulled Hermione out for a dance and was doing some strange mixture of tango and ballroom dancing. It was awkward, but they were both having a good time. Harry and Ginny were lost in their own little world as they held each other closely and swayed to a slower beat of the song. George watched from outside on the porch as he enjoyed a cigar with his older brothers, Bill and Charlie, before they had to take off for the night.

"No Ickle Ronnikons tonight?" He asked nonchalantly.

"No," Charlie explained. "Their Head wouldn't allow Harry and Ron to take the same day off. He knew it was nearly impossible for Gin to get the day off, so he let Harry have it."

"That was oddly valiant of him."

"Yeah, well, he's trying to grow up, George," Bill said. "Not every Weasley gets it right off the bat. Like ol' Perc, for example."

The men shifted their attention to the other Wealsey in the room as he danced with Katie, lost in conversation with her. George had to admit that Percy had changed quite a bit over the past few years, and even more since starting to date Katie. She was good for him and he was glad his brother and sister had found someone that made them happy. He gazed shifted unwillingly to Hermione as Lee dramatically spinned her around the living room. Seeing her laugh and smile made him smile as well.

"When will you be making your own moves, brother?" Charlie asked him.

He thought about playing dumb with the older Weasleys, but knew it wouldn't have done him much good if he had. He took a quick puff of the cigar and a sip of his Firewhiskey before answering.

"Soon. I just want the timing to be right, you know?"

"If there's anything I can offer," Bill advised, "it's that it doesn't matter when you do it, just that you do. I've seen you two work the room. We've both noticed the way you two are when you're together. There's a connection there that can't be ignore. She's waiting, you just need to take the leap. And when you do, you'll never want to stop falling."

George thought about his brother's advice for a few minutes longer. The alcohol he'd had that night had calmed him down significantly and placed him in the partying mood a short time ago. Bill and Charlie put out the last bit of their cigar and headed back inside to begin saying their goodbyes to the other guests. George had chosen to stay outside, needing a bit more air to gather his thoughts. He knew Bill was right. He thought about the new year's promise he and Hermione made. It was now or never.

"There you are! I was beginning to think you had figured out a way to abandon your own party!"

"I tried earlier, then realized you and Katie had put an anti-apparation field around the premises to keep me in and quickly gave up."

Hermione joined him on the deck and watched the guests inside as they continued to enjoy the party. She was looking a bit loose-limbed like he was. She grabbed the glass from his hand and took a big gulp of his drink. George laughed as she made a bitter face from the aftertaste of the Firewhiskey like she did every time she had some. The cool spring breeze swept through the deck, making Hermione wrap her sweater around her tighter.

He wasn't sure if it was the alcohol, the mood of the party or if it was just how she made him feel, but he wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless. Hermione looked up at him with a sweet smile and it melted him from the inside out. He didn't want to wait any longer, didn't want to spend his 26th year of existence without her by his side. George took the glass out of her hands and placed it on the railing next to the ashtray. He thought that once he had the setup in place it would be easier to take that leap with her, but as he stood there in front of her with his hands limp at his sides and a puzzling look on her face he realized he really didn't have a clue how to go forward from here.

A tune of a slow song drifted out from inside the house. George stepped forward and slipped an arm around her waist and grabbed her free hand with his, bring it to his chest that he was sure was thumping violently from anxiety. They stepped side to side, rotating around in the slowest of dances. George was all about the build up. From pranks to real life, he preferred to drag a moment out until it couldn't be stretched any further. He drew small circles with his thumb on her lower back. The faintest of sighs exited her lips as he did so. As he made his second rotation, he vaguely noticed that someone had closed the blinds on the windows, leaving them in complete privacy. The waves hit the shore like whispers. It was the most romantic moment he could have asked the heavens to arrange for him, and he knew that this was it. This was the moment he had been waiting for.

He halted their dancing to looked down at her. He wanted to know what she was thinking so badly. Her tongue peeked out for just a second to lick her lips and her eyes fell to his lips. Without giving her a chance for hesitation, he dove into her lips with a gentle yet firm kiss. She tasted of firewhiskey and champagne, and it drove him wild. She returned his kiss with more passion than he had expected. He had thought she would freeze and push him away, but she never faltered from the moment his lips touched hers. His hands roamed her back and sides. George wanted to be closer to her, to be devoured by her soft skin and plump lips. He pulled away for them to regain their breathing, but stayed close needing to feel her near him. Pulling away made him feel empty and incomplete and it terrified him. No woman had ever made him feel this way and he couldn't understand why Hermione, of all people, had done this to him. He didn't much care, though, because at that moment he knew she felt the same. There was no denying that _feeling_. Not able to resist her any longer, George moved his hands to cup her face and kissed her passionately once again.

* * *

Katie's grip on Percy's arm was sure to leave a mark. She made a mental note to fix that once she was done gawking at George and Hermione through the kitchen window. She couldn't help herself. As soon as she saw Hermione sneak outside to talk to George she knew something was going to happen. She closed the blinds behind her to ensure no one did anything to interrupt them, grabbed Percy and ran into the kitchen. Watching the two of them dancing slowly in the moonlight had been better than reading any romance novel she'd ever touched. Percy gave a groan as George leaned in to kiss Hermione, which earned him a swift hit to the stomach from his girlfriend.

"Don't you think you're becoming just a little obsessed with them?"

"These two just need a few nudges in the right direction," she countered. "And it worked. I told you it would."

"Yes, but is it absolutely necessary for me to stand here and watch my brother make out with a girl. This might be fun and games for you, but it's making me sick."

Katie rolled her eyes. She was just about to tell him off with Ginny busted into the kitchen.

"Have you guys seen 'Mione anywhere?"

Katie grinned at her and simply pointed at the window. Ginny gave her a curious look, but rushed to see the view nonetheless. The younger girl didn't have the same disgusted reaction her older brother upon seeing George in an intimate embrace with her best friend. Katie was very grateful she still had her Quidditch skills intact when she managed to clamp a hand over Ginny's mouth to prevent anyone from hearing her delighted screaming. All three were quite shocked as things began to heat up between the couple outside. Percy, having had quite enough of this sort of invasion of privacy, quickly shut the curtains on the window and begin moving the girls towards the living room.

"How can we ensure that they won't be bothered if all of the party's hosts are missing from the party and no one is available to keep them from going outside?"

Groaning at his logic, the girls stopped fighting him and went outside with the best hostess faces they could muster for the remainder of the evening. Thankfully, their guests were much too drunk to notice the couple's absence, let alone remember where exactly they were.

* * *

When Hermione awoke the next morning, she had no idea where she was, what day it was, whose bed she was in or even how she had gotten there in the first place. The last thing she could vividly recall was speaking to Katie and Percy in Diagon Alley about George birthday party that night and-

Hermione quickly looked to the body that had shifted beside her on the bed. She hadn't noticed that key piece of detail when she first awoke. Her body stilled with fear. Upon seeing the ginger locks within inches of her face, her heart began to race and breathing had become a very difficult task. Hermione quickly looked under the covers at herself as if she were ripping a band aid off her skin. The shuttered sigh of release when she saw that they were both fully dressed in the previous night's clothing was equal parts disappointment and elation. She was also quite relieved to not be ridden with a terrible hangover.

She glanced at the Chudley Cannons wall clock across the room and realized she had slept through breakfast and lunch. George had missed waking up for his shift at the store. Since beginning work, it was decided that George and Verity would open the shop while Lee and Hermione would close. Not wanting to deal with any awkwardness that might arise from finding her in his bed, Hermione slowly maneuvered herself out from under the covers and quietly closed the door behind her.

She was in a daze as she moved about her room to gather her work robes and bathed herself to consciousness. Verity didn't seem all that surprised when Hermione stepped through the fireplace and behind the registers of the shop. Still, Hermione gave her preplanned excuse that she was only in to ensure that the inventory would be replenished from the past week's rush.

"George usually doesn't make it in on the day after his birthday, so I was already prepared to work the shift alone," Verity explained. "The shop's pretty quiet the day after his birthday normally, so you should be able to work on the inventory in peace."

But Hermione couldn't seem to get her mind in order as she moved from shelf to shelf to gather the ingredients she needed for this product or that. Flashes of last night kept invading her thoughts. The way he ran his fingers through her hair as he kissed her the second time. The way her leg automatically curled around his as he trapped her against the railing and teased her mouth with his tongue. She couldn't even remember how they made it into his bedroom that night. All she could remember was him moving her away from the railing one minute and the back of her legs hitting the mattress the next. His lips were soft and smooth. Her heartbeat began to falter as she thought about how his lips trailed sweet, sensual kisses from her mouth to her neck and down to her collarbone. It made her skin tingle as her mind replayed the feelings.

_"I don't want to rush this with you, Hermione,"_ he had told her as he moved her further up the bed. _"Don't get me wrong, I wish so badly that I could take you right now, but I won't. You're not just some bird that I picked up at some party to shag. I've wanted you for so long."_

She hadn't known how to respond to his confession. She had wanted to feel his lips on hers so badly, as well, but she knew that there was a lot at stake. '_I must be destined for complication relationships for the whole of my life,'_she thought begrudgingly. Before she knew it, all of the potions she had started were already set to simmer for the next 24 to 48 hours until they needed to be added to their particular product. Hermione had already gone out three times since she arrived to see if Verity needed any help, but only two customers had walked in all day and only four small owl orders had arrived, all of which were easily handled this morning before Hermione even woken up.

There was nothing left for her to do at the shop. Now, she'd have to go home.

Hermione began to panic at the idea. She had no more excuses left to stay out of the house and away from George. _'Harry! I can go visit Harry!'_Without another moment wasted, Hermione stepped towards the fireplace was getting ready to step in when it enlarged before her and green flames spat out George, freshly showered and changed into quite possibly the sexiest ensemble she'd seen him in yet. Although, now that she thought about it, it could have been more because of the fact that she had spent the last few hours fantasizing about him rather than it be his plain t-shirt and jeans that were actually making him sexy.

"There you are, love," George said as he stepped out of the fireplace. "You didn't have to cover my shift today. We're always slow on this day. Why don't you come home. We can worry about the inventory this weekend. Trust me, it won't hurt our sales any. Besides, Katie and Percy are already starting dinner."

George held his arm out to escort her back toward the fireplace. Scared, Hermione took a step backward and away from him.

"I was actually just about to pop over to Harry's-"

"Oh, he and Gin are already at the house."

"Of course they are," she muttered, but George didn't hear her.

"Gin got an extra day off, so I told them to come by for dinner when Harry's shift was done." George gently grabbed her hand and pulled her close to him. "Now, what do you say we go home."

For whatever the reason, Hermione wanted nothing more than to apparate out of there as quickly as possible. She cursed the level of security George had on the apparation limits for the store. However, she remained grateful at least for the fact that one had to floo alone from destination to destination. Hermione slipped out of his hold as casually as possible, telling him she needed to grab her things. As soon as she did, she headed straight for the fireplace and took off for the house in a ball of flames before he could attempt any "alone time" nonsense with her.

Harry and Ginny had served as a wonderful distraction as soon as she arrived at the house. She delved into an intense conversation about Quidditch and weddings with Katie and Ginny as quickly as she could, leaving the boys to talk about whatever they pleased as long as it didn't involve her being around George. Hermione noticed the strange looks the girls were giving her when she participated in the Quidditch talk. She was prepared for the questioning that would take place as soon as the boys left the kitchen. Until then, she was safe.

As her luck would have it, the boys left a few moments later to check out George's new broomstick and Quidditch gear. The girls rounded on her as soon as they heard the familiar click of the back door closing behind them.

"What's wrong?" Ginny never was one to beat around the bush.

"Yeah, you hate talking about Quidditch. And why haven't you made eye contact with George since you arrived?" Now that she thought about it, neither was Katie.

"Nothing's wrong! I'm just really excited that I have all of my best friends in the same room for dinner for once, is all. By the way, when's Percy coming 'round?"

"In an hour. Now, stop trying to change the subject," Katie snapped.

She had no idea what to tell them because she really didn't understand her behavior either. She was scared, she knew that much. The kisses she had shared with George last night had been passionate and wonderful, but they had been pissed all night. As far as she knew, it could have been a side effect of the firewhiskey and the moonlight making him behave the way he had. No, she couldn't give her hopes up on anything more in her life after having so much be ripped from her grip. She had learned the hard way that it was much safer on the heart to assume the worst than expect the better.

The door to the kitchen swung open. George and Harry walked in with Percy following soon after, and Hermione found herself saved by the boys' presence once more. The girls gave her a pointed look as they started handing out bowls and serving platters out for people to set on the table. Hermione knew she would have to figure out her issues soon or her present company would never let sleeping dogs lie. As she focused her attention to Percy's Ministry complaints and Harry's Auror stories, she vaguely wondered how difficult it would be for her to flee the country and change her name.

* * *

Katie had a strong feeling that something like this would happen. They had been fighting their feelings for months, and to suddenly be right where they needed to be was obviously too good to be true. Katie recklessly dropped Gred's food bowl on the ground, earning a hiss from him. She dropped a heartless apology his way as she stormed out of the kitchen. She knew she shouldn't be nearly this upset at Hermione for her behavior. She could hardly blame her, could she? The poor girl had gone through enough and she knew Hermione questioned how much strength she had left in her should something go wrong between the two.

She plopped on the couch and huffed. Checking the wall clock, Katie sighed as she realized she'd have to wait another 15 minutes for Hermione to arrive from her shift. She shifted slightly in her seat, suddenly feeling uncomfortable and self-conscious about the entire matter. Really, she knew this wasn't her place, and as far as Hermione and George knew no one saw their actions at his birthday a few days ago. She'd seen their awkward interactions at home, though. George would attempt to lightly touch her back or reach for a plate on the high shelf for her. Hermione would accept, turning away from him quickly and never make eye contact.

At first, she could tell that George was thinking nothing of it. It wasn't until she began arriving at work earlier than usual to avoid him at home or staying up late in her room to read or do paperwork that he really started to catch on. The look of defeat on his face was almost heartbreaking. Katie wasn't sure George would be able to take much more of her never ending silence. The fireplace lit with flames and Hermione halted her steps just in front of it, alarmed by Katie's presence.

"Oh! You gave me a right fright there, Katie! What are you doing home so early?"

Hermione moved around the couch to set her bag and cloak on the hooks beside the front door. Katie stood up and joined her, hoping to figure out a way to trap Hermione in a corner to demand some answers.

"I got someone to cover the end of my shift so I could talk to you about something."

Hermione's eyes went wide with concern and began blurting out questions, convinced Katie was ill.

"I'm fine, it's you that's not fine, Hermione. Seriously, what's going on with you?" Hermione let out a sigh and averted her eyes. "And don't give me the runaround this time. Percy, Gin and I saw you and George going at it pretty hot and heavy outside at his birthday party, and I know you spent the night in his room. Now, tell me why you're avoiding him."

The pause between them filled the room and weighed heavily on their shoulders. Katie started to worry that perhaps George had taken advantage of Hermione,but chucked those thoughts aside when she remembered that George was the perfect gentlemen when it came to the ladies. He and Fred always had been.

"I'm terrified of him," Hermione breathed, her eyes filled with unshed tears.

"Why?" Katie whispered to her, fearful that if she were too loud Hermione wouldn't be able to keep it together.

"I have no idea, but I'm so scared of him. He's been a complete sweetheart and nothing short of a gentleman towards me, and here I am, hiding in my own home from him. What's wrong with me?"

Katie threw her arms around her friend and rubbed her back as she cried a little on her shoulders.

"There's nothing wrong with you, love. You're just getting a bit of the new relationship jitters, is all. But avoiding George isn't the answer. Poor guy thinks you're put off by him."

"I know," Hermione groaned. "It's like I want to shag him and disapparate away from him, all at the same time. It's just so... bizarre!"

Katie guided Hermione towards the couch and sat her down to relax. She was grateful that this was the only barrier standing between the two getting together at the moment. This, she could fix.

"Was it like this for you when you and Percy started seeing each other?" Hermione's voice came out like a whisper.

She could help but chuckle as she thought back to her and Percy getting together.

"Actually, neither of us got the jitters until he accidentally blurted out that he loved me in the middle of shagging me senseless. We didn't talk to each other for nearly two weeks after that. Then, he showed up at the hospital one night and we took a walk around London just chattin' about it all. He was scared just like I was. That's when we realized how ridiculous we were being, because we really were in love with each other.

"These fears you have, they're nothing! You can't be scared of your emotions, Hermione. I know it's easier said than done, but you have to believe me. Running away just makes it worse."

Katie stood up and headed for her room to leave Hermione with her thoughts. She knew that, more than anything, Hermione needed time to think. In the end, she knew that the only person to convince Hermione to take the leap would be a combination of her inner self and George. They had been through so much, this would be nothing.

As she closed the door, Katie missed Hermione quietly whisper aloud, desperately trying to hold back invasive tears.

"But what if he leaves me, too?"


	13. Roll the Dice

**Chapter 13: Roll the Dice**

_Dear Ginny,_

_It's been three days since you and Harry came for dinner at the cottage, but it feels like it's been weeks. Things just feel so... awkward. I have no idea how to act around George now. I'm pretty sure the others are starting to notice. I actually snorted during a laugh in front of him! I couldn't help myself, though. It just happened! I've been absolute rubbish with the potions to the point where I nearly burnt down the office. I just wish that there was manual for relationships. Believe me, I've tried looking. There isn't a book for how to date your ex-boyfriend's older brother, who also happens to be your close friend, roommate and business partner. However, they do have a surprising amount of books for each individual role. I haven't quite figured out if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Hope all is well, and I wish you luck on your next game! We'll be listening on the radio!_

_Love,  
Hermione_

Hermione handed her letter to one of the shop's owls and sent him on his way to Ginny. She let out a sigh as she watched the owl fly away and fade into the distance. It had been a few days since she and George had shared their drunken romantic kiss the night of his birthday, and her nerves were not lessening as the days went on. Due to testing at school, the number of orders coming into the shop had thinned out, allowing the staff time to recover from the rush of April Fool's Day and prepare for the Easter holiday rush soon to come.

That week had been exceptionally awkward between the two. Every day, for two hours, George and Hermione's shifts overlapped each other to allow for the day's notes to be explained and passed off to the other. During these two hours, Hermione would try her damnedest to avoid standing close or looking him in the eye. Which, if one knew George and could see the excitement of everyday life in his eyes, would know that this was virtually impossible. It wasn't that she hated him or regretted their actions that night, but it was still too soon for her. Hermione was a planner. She had a plan A, B, C and D for everything she did in life. Even the outfits she chose for the next day had backup plans should a change in weather call for it. With such a huge decision as to whether or not she should find herself in George's loving arms, she was starting to believe that there wasn't enough time in the world to come up with the absolute conclusion for this. In the morning, she might look at his door or greet him at the table for breakfast and know in her heart of hearts that she wanted nothing more than to spend the indefinite future lounging in his arms. By evening time, she might have completely convinced herself that it was a terrible idea and that nothing but heartache would come from it for her.

No matter how often she over or under contemplated a possible future with George, the way he said her name still melted her from the inside out and his feather light touch on her lower back still sent shivers down her arms. She really hated how he made her so indecisive and insane all the time. During moments like this, she couldn't help but compare him to Ron. Sure, he had frustrated and angered her enough to knock a few years off her life, but this dance she had played out with George didn't feel like the tragic play she had with Ron for the past decade.

She sighed heavily again as she stared at the window, willing the owl to return with Ginny's response sooner to give her else to focus on.

* * *

George wasn't blind. He may be deaf in one ear, but definitely not blind. Still, he played dumb to Hermione's tiptoeing around him knowing she needed someone with a patient heart to wait for hers to finishing mending. And patient he would be, because he knew she was more than worth it.

Unfortunately for him, George was never one to be able to contain true excitement. Every time she entered his line of vision, he could feel his palms itch for the feel of her skin and a smile tug at the corners of his mouth. Every time she bit the corner of her bottom lip as she concentrated heavily on inventory or creating a new product, he desperately wanted to grab the sides of her face and press his lips to hers as passionately as he had the night of his birthday. He caught himself subconsciously sitting on his hands a few times to keep himself from jumping the broom to have his way with her in the middle of the shop. The two hours a day he spent in her presence would have to be enough. For now, at least.

He felt like a 14-year old girl and, for the first time in years, was grateful his twin couldn't see him in such a state. He knew Fred would have right taken the mickey out of him and botch any plans of pursuing Hermione before he even had a chance to blink.

This particular day had been trying his patience more than usual. Every customer that had approached him that morning seemed to have an issue with his products or his pricing or with someone else pranking them. With the stress of having to back off Hermione for the time being, irate customers was not what he needed at that moment. Verity had been at the receiving end of a few irritated remarks from George, which he promptly apologized for. Being the sweet and understanding employee he had always valued her for being, she forgave him immediately with a reassuring pat.

"Don't worry, boss," she told him as she headed for the counter. "She'll come around soon. She can't ignore this forever."

He only partially believed her.

As the morning progressed, George's foul mood had only worsened. Even Hermione's presence wasn't enough to find his cheerful side. All seeing her did was remind him of his stagnant love life. A part of him felt guilty when all he could give her was a head nod as she waved hello to him from the office. He knew he needed to get out of there as quickly as possible, needed to end his day and curl into the fetal position with his firewhiskey and blanket to pretend that today never happened.

"You seem like you've had a stressful day."

Her voice startled him out of his thoughts not realizing she was still in the office when he grabbed his belongings.

"Yeah, you can say that," he muttered.

George could feel her presence getting closer to him as he placed his items in his pockets. It took everything in him not to retreat his arm the second she placed her hand on him. He didn't want to look at her right now. Looking at her meant staring at the one thing he wanted but couldn't have. He dreaded the moment she asked him what was bothering him. His ears felt hot and his demeanor grew cold at the thought.

"Did you want to talk about it?" Her voice was soft. George was glad that she knew him well enough to know when to push it and when not to.

He didn't answer her. He wanted to talk to her about so many things, but now was not the time. George stepped away from his desk and away from Hermione without having acknowledged her question. For whatever reason, he couldn't bring himself to step foot into the fireplace and floo home, though. Against his better judgement, George turned to face Hermione. His subconscious was screaming at him to stop.

"Why are you avoiding me?" He yelled at her. Hearing the words come out of his mouth scared him as much as it had scared her. _'Where the hell that come from?!' _But his mouth wouldn't stop moving. "It's like I've got the plague or warts. You barely stay in the same room as me for longer than two minutes, and then you bolt! You just bolt right out of the room! If I touch you or try to hug you, you suddenly remember something you had to do, but if _you_ put your hand on _my_ arm it's ok. You won't even sit on the sofa and read with me anymore. You just grab Gred and head to sleep. Was what we did really that bad to you? Do you regret it that much?"

The air in the room became still. He wasn't sure if the sheer embarrassment from blurting that out was what was causing him to hear anything besides his own breathing, or if the entire shop grew quiet because of his yelling. Guilt finally got him to shut up. He was a heartbeat away from turning around and run into the fireplace before Hermione's voiced stopped him.

"I'm sorry," was all she whispered.

Her eyes were casted downward. He thought if he got it off his chest, if he was able to ask whatever he and everyone around them wanted to know, that he would feel better and let it be. However, hearing her say those words sank his heart into his stomach. He had been so sure that she wanted this as he had, but her actions had been telling him otherwise. '_I'm going to lose her.' _George's worst fear had come to light: the second he let someone get as close to him as he allowed Fred to be, they pushed him away. He ran a frustrated hand through his ginger locks, begging himself to calm down.

"For what?" His voice croaked and George could feel tears pooling in his bottom eyelid.

"You scare me." George hadn't expected her to say that. "Your smile, your eyes. The way your voice makes me shiver and the ache I get when you're sad. You make me feel things I'm not supposed to. And it scares me even more that I don't want to stop this."

The ache that had begun to form in his heart lessened its hold on him.

"Then don't stop. Let me show you that there's nothing to be afraid of."

George walked closer to her and reached out to grab her hands. This was the moment, he realized, when they could finally stop this stupid game of theirs and just be happy together. His eyebrows furrowed as she moved her hands away from him. Her eyes were already beginning to fill with tears as she backed away from him slowly, her hands reaching behind her for the door.

"I can't, George. I'm finally happy working here, working with you. You mean too much me... that losing you would be like losing everything that gives me a reason to live. I can't risk destroying this, too. Please, you have to understand. I'm so sorry."

Before he could say or do anything more, she was already out of the room. He barely registered a small droplet run down his cheek as he stood in the fireplace and whispered, "The Cottage," and the flames sucked him through.

* * *

Hermione was very grateful that she had decided to make dinner plans with Katie that evening. Both girls would be working late that night and had made plans that morning to catch up during their scheduled lunch times. It had been hours since her encounter with George in the office, yet his words continued to repeat in her head like the lyrics to a bad song. She felt horrible all morning, and Lee wasn't helping matters much. Like a dog in heat, Lee seemed to feel the need to hit on nearly every woman that came into the shop that day. Twice she had to pull him to the side and reprimand him for his actions.

Plopping her body into a chair at the Leaky Cauldron felt like a little piece of heaven to her feet. Her feet were sore and her back was beginning to ache from the stress. She signaled the waitress to come to the table as she saw Katie enter the pub.

"Ok, what's wrong?"

Hermione pulled herself away from picking at the food on her plate to look at her friend.

"You've been acting strange throughout this entire meal. Something's wrong, so just come out with it already."

Hermione put her fork down and slumped further into her seat with a heavy sigh. She couldn't bring herself to talk with her friend about her issues with George knowing Katie was rooting for the two of them to get together already. Hermione knew that Katie, like most people in happy and loving relationships, only wanted their friends to be in happy and loving relationships as well.

"This is about George, isn't it?"

She merely nodded in response.

"Can I ask you a question, Hermione? And I want you to be honest with me," Katie started, taking a sip of her wine as Hermione braced herself. She felt her defenses go up at her friend's calm demeanor.

"Sure, I guess."

"What exactly happened between you and Ron? I know your break up was terrible, but no one's ever given me the full story behind that."

"That's because no one really asked, to be frank," she whispered. "It was like no one cared why or what happened, just the fact that it did."

Hermione took a deep breath and looked about the room. The pub was crowded that night. Having to think about Ron and George made her anxiety levels increase, and the room was beginning to get smaller around her.

"Can we get out of here? It may have been months since we broke up, but that doesn't mean it's old news just yet," she breathed.

Katie nodded her head, understanding that Hermione's need to stay off the front page of the Daily Prophet, and left money on the table to cover their meals with a hefty tip. Once outside of the pub, Hermione Apparated them to an alleyway outside of a Muggle cafe a few blocks south of Diagon Alley. Both girls waved their wands and transformed their work robes into Muggle clothes before heading out to join the public. She headed straight for the booth in the far back corner after ordering a cup for each of them. Hermione didn't breathe another word about her relationship with Ron until the waitress dropped off their cups.

"When I look back on it, it wasn't something that happened suddenly, but at the time it felt like it did. All of the classic warning signs were there for months. I just couldn't bring myself to take notice of them. It was like we were going through the motions of _being_ in a relationship without ever actually _participating_ in it. We had our routine and we never strayed from it. It was just so _monotonous_. I hated it. He never went into details about his day, and never asked me to go into detail about mine. We eventually stopped going out for dinner unless to see Harry and Gin. Everything we did for the last few months were done separately, instead of together.

"I'd seen him chatting with Lavender in the halls, or in the lobby while waiting for me to get off work. I tried not to think about it, though. Something changed in him whenever she was around. It was like he just became happier for no real reason. After a few weeks, he came by my place to end things. He told me that it wasn't anything I did. He just said it wasn't right. I remembered losing control and screaming at him. When I asked him if there was anyone else, he was honest with me about Lavender. I believed him when he told me that he never cheated on me with her.

"He found something with Lavender that he never found with me and, to be honest, I never found with him either. I was hurt because it seemed like ending up together was what we were supposed to do because so many people wanted us to. I used to wish that Ron had cheated on me to make it all the less painful."

"How do you mean?" Katie asked her.

"If he had cheated on me, I could have been angry and glad things ended. This way, it just feels awkward, like we gave up. We tried so hard for so long to make things work when they didn't and we failed. Except he was able to move on before the end and I was left to pick up the pieces."

"So, because of Ron you feel that you can't be with George in fear of history repeating itself?"

"What? No, that's not... I don't think that would happen with George. I trust George. You know that. It's just-"

"It's just that you can't trust him with your heart."

Hermione didn't know how to respond to her claim. Was she right? Had she allowed herself to get hurt so badly that she couldn't face love in the eye and accept it? All she could think to do was stare into her coffee, racking her brain for answers to questions she never asked herself before.

"Just answer one last question, Hermione. Are you still in love with Ron?"

Hermione paused for a long time before answering. Her reflection in the window beside them caught her eye as a few cars drove past the small coffee shop. She turned her head to look at Katie, unable to look at herself as she spoke.

"If what I feel for George is real love, then I was never in love with Ron. That's why this is so much harder."

* * *

Saturday night was George's private time in the basement lab. The girls were upstairs enjoying their hot mugs of coffee on the porch watching the waves, while he was assembling his latest secret invention. George was proud of himself for being able to finish it all on his own in such a short time. He checked, double-checked and triple-checked his ingredients list. He made sure his potions were already separated and ready to go, just as Hermione trained him to do. For the first time all week, something was finally starting to go right for George.

In hindsight, he really should have seen this moment as a bad omen.

He picked up his clipboard and scribbled his quill up and down his checklist to be sure he didn't forget anything from memory. George set the flame to low and watched as the potion went from boiling to simmering. He leaned over and set the timer to alert him when the 20-minute wait was up so he could pull it off the flame to cool for an extra 20 minutes. This was a concept he wanted to show Hermione for the past few weeks. He was given the inspiration after their terrible double date disaster.

After reviewing the Truth Trousers before starting mass production on the product, George realized that he and Fred had never really tapped into the truth-telling business. They had products to enlarge body parts, turn you into animals, mask zits and warts, and even fake potion-making tools. However, they only had the Truth Trousers to set them apart from their competition. Wanting to prove to Hermione that his mischievousness and innovation had return, George had begun his concepts for the small Truth Be Told line he hoped to launch by the end of the summer alongside the Truth Trousers. Thus the creation of the Confession Confections, the box of treats sure to get your target to confess how they really feel! The victim will feel compulsions to announce how they really feel about people around them for four hours. Yes, he really was quite proud of his latest invention.

The ingredients took a bit longer to procure and delayed his grand reveal significantly. He hoped that she would be able to see past the awkwardness between them long enough to give her undivided attention to what he was sure to be the next big seller. George spent the wait going over and over his presentation for later that night. The plan was to have the girls wait ever so patiently for him on the couch while he ran back downstairs to grab the tray of Turkish Delights, half of which were normal and the other half that were Confession Confections, for a blind taste-testing.

To ensure he wouldn't be tricked by his own treat, George had differentiated the treats by shade. The lighter pink ones had the potion mixed in, whereas the dark pink ones were normal. He wanted them be like this for the final product as well. The receiver would taste first few and feel fine before finally biting into a laced on and start spilling all to the world. In an attempt to speed up the process to test the products on the girls tonight, George took the recently assembled pan and powdered them with sugar before cooling the Turkish Delights to just under room temperature and slicing them into perfect little rectangles. It was at this moment, when he began removing them from the pan and into the tray, that he realized something had gone horribly wrong with his plans.

All of the treats were a medium pink, and not a light or dark pink as they were supposed to be.

George felt a bout of panic begin to rise within him as he heard the girls step back inside the house and call out his name. He had made such a big deal about this treat that the girls wouldn't allow him to back out now. He only had one option and that was to proceed as normal. Just in case, George pocketed his notes on the treat so if a healer was needed they would know where he went wrong. He inspected the treats one last time to see if he could find hints of color distinction.

"George, we've been waiting for hours. Some of us would like to enjoy our night. Now, hurry up already," Katie yelled from the doorway.

He shrugged off any previous worries he had about the treats and ran up the stairs, the tray of Confession Confections floating behind him.

There was an odd feeling in his stomach as he stepped into the kitchen. The girls were seated at the table with their mugs in front of them. Gred had been locked outside of the kitchen for his own safety in case he tried to eat one of the sugary sweets.

"Sorry to keep you lovely ladies waiting," he told them as he laid the treat tray down onto the kitchen table. "May I present to you my latest edible prank product!"

He looked from girl to girl hoping to gauge their reaction upon first glance of the treats. It was just as he hoped: a slight look of morbid curiosity. George had to admit that his treats did come out looking rather scrumptious.

"What are they?" Katie was the first of the two to question the Delights. "I mean, I know what they're supposed to be. Obviously, they're supposed to look like Turkish Delights, but what are they _really?_"

"That, my dear, is for you two to find out!"

Both girls scoffed at his ridiculous idea of jumping head first into a metaphorical room full of dementors. He knew it would take a bit of coaxing on his part to get the girls onboard for being his test subjects. Originally, his plan had been to feed them both dark pink treats and take a light pink one for himself. With the color scheme having been botched, he feared having to take one for the team and risking his own privacy at the same time.

Not that George had a lot of secrets these days. Living and spending so much time with two of his best mates left little room for privacy, in the grand scheme of things. Still, there were things that he preferred to be left unsaid for the time being with Hermione. Things were still rocky between them. While he'd love to hear her thoughts on him, he wanted to be selfish and hold onto what he hadn't said yet as long as possible.

"You know how we feel about being tested on, George," Hermione began to scold.

"She's right, what if something went wrong in production and someone needs to get a hold of St. Mungo's incase of an emergency?"

"Only you two are going to be testing, so I'll be fine to contact whoever!" George countered.

"Oh no, there is no way we're testing this unknown food and you're not," Katie argued.

"It's not going to kill you," he said, rolling his eyes. "I was extremely careful with making this batch."

"Fine, then you can take one with us."

Hermione's words made him hesitate. Bad move. She was already standing in front of him popping one of the treats into his gaped mouth before she had even finished her sentence. Katie had popped one in as soon as George started chewing begrudgingly, Hermione following suit seconds later.

The room had gone dead silent once they had each swallowed their treat. He knew that the treat would start kicking in at around the 3-minute mark. Since it hadn't been tested yet, he braced himself incase it came earlier.

"So, what's it supposed to do?"

"I call them, 'Confession Confections,'" George's brows furrowed. "They force the person to speak the truth about how they feel about the people they see for about four hours."

'Did I tell them that because I wanted to, or because I had to?' He questioned internally.

"A truth prank, George?! How will we know if it's working?"

"How long does it take to kick in?"

"How will we know it's happening?"

"How will we know when it stops happening? I have a date in two hours!"

George began slowly backing away from the table, caught off guard by their reactions. Hoping to calm them down, George placed a calming smile on his face and explained the process of the prank.

"It's compulsory. You won't have a choice but to tell the truth. The more you have, the more impulsive your actions become. We only had one so far so I'm sure that those of us affected will be fine."

"What exactly do you mean by 'affected', George," Hermione questioned.

"Well, half of the treats are actual Turkish Delights and the other half are Confession Confections. The placebos were supposed to come out light pink and the others were supposed to be dark pink, but when I cast a cooling spell on them they all became medium pink in color. Still not quite sure what happened there."

"How quickly did you cool it down?" Hermione's voice was getting increasingly louder and louder as she spoke.

"I had them cool in five minutes. What's got you all riled up?"

"George, forcibly cooling a potion with Vertiserum mixed into makes it much stronger. It doesn't matter that we only had one. We might as well have had five naturally cooled ones. Who knows how long it will take for the effects to wear off. No one seems to be blurting anything out though, so we might be good. I think we should scrap this set and start over. You know, retest it tomorrow or something-"

"I haven't washed my pillowcase since you slept on it because it still smells like you."

George's eyes went wide and his hand shot up to cover his mouth. Hermione and Katie sat there shocked at his outburst.

"What?" Hermione whispered.

He could feel the tip of his ear go pink and was thankful he had grown out his ginger locks. George shook his head side to side violently as a silent protest to ever speaking again. The effects as the treat were kicking in hard and he felt like he was going to blurt more secrets out loud. He desperately tried to think of things he'd done as a kid and lied about in order to prevent himself from saying anything more that involved Hermione.

"Maybe we should take to St. Mungo's and see if there's anything they can do to stop the effects."

"There's nothing can do," Katie spoke quietly, still clearly in shock of his admission. "He just has to let the effects run their course."

George could feel it happening again. His eyes were wide as saucers. It was as if his body was trying to purge itself of anything he'd ever kept inside of him. His body trembled against the pressure of his own concoction as he prayed for his own quick death. He knew that his whole face had gone red with embarrassment as he watch them stare at him with confused looks, waiting with baited breath for him to say something. He grimaced and fought with all he had to keep his mouth shut, but to no avail. His words came out quick and strangled.

"I hate that Ron hurt you so badly that you can't trust me to love you like you deserve," his mouth practically yelled. "All I crave to eat or drink anymore is hot cocoa with a peppermint stick because that's what your lips tasted like the first time we kissed."

He screamed as he bent over the table, his hands grabbing the edge while he fought the impulsive urge to talk. He let out a scream as he tried everything possible to prevent himself from screaming his inner secrets out loud. How much more would he say? His muscles were tense and hurt from restraining himself. George had a death grip on the table, and if he weren't the one in this unfortunate circumstance he'd be laughing his shoes off into the next room.

"My favorite part of the day is getting to see you!"

George fell to his knees and breathed heavily, his shoulders slumped. He gave up his fight against the treats. The girls had been right about his mistake and now he had to suffer for it. Unfortunately, Hermione seemed to use that moment as the perfect time to run from the kitchen, straight for her room.

He watched as Katie's shadow overlapping his before looking at her in the eye. She gave him a sad smoke before squatting down next to him. Katie patted his shoulder before speaking to him with hushed, sympathetic tones.

"It'll be alright, George."

"That one time in fifth year when you girls snuck into the boys' locker room after practice and I was the only taking a shower, and you and Angie crept up behind me while i was taking care of myself you thought you heard me moan out Fleur's name and I lied about it. I actually did it. Please don't tell anyone I did that."

"That's it, Georgie, just let it all out."

* * *

Hermione thanked Merlin heavily for her having the opening shift that morning. She looked at the clock on the wall and saw that she had exactly two whole hours to herself before the store doors would open, and exactly one hour before Verity would floo into work. She had every intent to thrust herself into whatever silly task needed to be done, only to find herself finished fifteen minutes later because she had done it all yesterday in order to distract herself from the conversation she had with George. Frustrated, she dropped into his chair and sighed loudly.

In truth, Hermione knew she wasn't being fair to George or herself. They worked when they shouldn't. They were orderly when they should have been chaotic. They made sense when they weren't supposed to. George was exactly what she wanted, what she _needed_, and yet everything she was terrified to indulge in. Because this was it, this is what they were both waiting to find. Who wouldn't be absolutely terrified to come to this conclusion?

Hermione wandering around the store and found herself finding similarities between the store her relationship with George. The shelves were filled to the brim and seemed like they were one package away from toppling over, but never did. While the products seemed to just have been placed wherever they fit, anyone who spent most of their waking moments there could tell you there was plenty of rhyme and reason to their placement. The window displays were smartly planned to show off their best products in motion. Smarts and silliness.

Like a prank shop needed serious enough business owners to stay alive, pranksters needed someone with a serious side to stay grounded. Hermione began her silent study of the Pigmy Puffs, as if staring at them long enough would help her find the strength she needed.

"'Mione? Did you hear me?"

Verity had woken her up from her thoughts with a tap on the shoulder.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you."

"It's quite alright. I suppose we should get the store ready for opening?"

"That's just what I was trying to tell you. It's already time to open the store," Verity chuckled.

Hermione glanced at her watch to check the time and was shocked to see they were already a couple of minutes late to unlock the doors.

"Oh, bloody hell," she muttered.

"Don't fret it. I've already done all the preparations. You looked like you needed the extra alone time."

"I'm sorry you had to do that alone. I promise to make it up to you."

Verity had already headed to the front to let their first few customers of the day in, a smile plastered on her face.

"Buy me lunch and we'll call it even, eh?"

The rest of the morning passed in a slow blur. It had been slow, to which Hermione was grateful for. She had found herself zoning out too much as she restocked a few of the shelves with products to pay much attention to anyone else. Verity had offered to watch the store while she went for a walk a few times, and by 11:30 she had finally agreed to it.

She instantly regretted her decision when she stepped directly into her ex-boyfriend. The only thing that made her feel better was to see him as downtrodden as she felt.

"Hey," he said with a tone of surprise.

"Hello," she responded.

It felt like an awkward eternity before either of them spoke again. Ron was the first to speak.

"You look like you've got something on your mind. Did you want to maybe head to the Cauldron and talk about it."

"Do you think that's a good idea, Ron?"

She wanted to because she needed a friend at that moment but wasn't sure he was the person she needed.

"We're still friends, Hermione. At least, I hope we still are. Besides, it would be nice hearing someone else's problems for a bit," he chuckled. "So, what do you say?"

As terrible of an idea she knew it would be, Hermione turned and headed for the pub with Ron in tow. They engaged in roughly laid out small talk for a while before they eased back into conversation as normal as they could get. She listened while he spoke of the new flat he'd just rented on his own and of the various cases he worked on as an Auror. He asked questions about the shop and was genuinely interested as she spoke of her new roommates and kitten. Both held a tinge of sadness as they realized just how much of each other's lives they'd missed over the past few months.

"So, are you going to tell me, or are you going to make me work for it?" Ron asked after the waitress brought them their second round of butterbeers.

"I'm sorry?"

"About what's bothering you? I've known you too long to not know when something's eating away at you inside, Hermione. You can tell me you know."

But she knew she couldn't. No matter how much maturity Ron had gained since the war had ended, there was still no way he would take the news of her perusing his older brother well. That much she at least learned from the books she had read.

"Just the everyday worries of a girl in her twenties, I'm afraid. What about you? You looked just as lost in your thoughts as I must."

"I'm pretty sure these worries you don't want to hear about," he blushed, his voice quiet and sad.

She could tell right away that he was speaking about his relationship with Lavender. She always thought that she would have to steel herself up more when this day came, but after her spill-all talk with Katie the previous day, she found herself not as hurt by thought of Ron and Lavender as she once had been.

"No, Ron. We're friends. Come on, let me try to help you."

And she had genuinely meant it, to her surprise. She hated that the end of their relationship helped aid in the slow deterioration of the Golden Trio's friendship and she wanted to stop it starting with this moment.

"If you're sure," he paused.

Hermione nodded him on and continued to listen as he told her of the fights he and Lavender had been having. He told her of the latest fight they had over a receipt for a hotel room he had rented for a stake out that she had found and blown out proportions. He had called for a break from their relationship after that.

"I'm so sorry," she had told him. "It's always hard fighting with the people you love. You both make each other really happy, though. I could always see it in both of your eyes, even if I might have not known what I was seeing. You'll find a way back to each other. You always have."

Ron visibly cringed at her words.

"N-no, that's not what I-"

"No, I've been meaning to talk to you about that."

"Really, Ron. It's alright, hones-"

"It's not, and I'm truly sorry for that. While I can't take it back, the hurt I know I caused you, I want you to know I'm truly sorry."

Hermione felt her gaze lock with Ron's. There was something in his eyes, behind the sincerity and the sadness that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"I know you are, Ron. I know you are."

It was nearly 2 in the afternoon by the time Hermione wandered back into the shop with Verity's favorite meal from the pub. She thanked her repeatedly before diving into the food right there at the counter.

"I take it everything went well out there?"

Hermione furrowed her brows and opened her mouth before Verity beat her to the punch.

"I saw you out there with Ron. I was about to go out there and save you from the trouble before you walked off with him. Everything alright?"

Hermione smiled softly at the older girl for being such a sweet-hearted person. She stole a chip before replying.

"Yeah, I just think I may have salvaged a friendship."

"Good, because I was beginning to think I had bigger problems than I thought."

Both girls turned their heads in shock of seeing George in the office doorway. Hermione quickly looked at Verity with a death glare until the girl shook her head slightly enough for her to know that they were equally shocked by his arrival.

"Verity, watch the store, please. Lee will be here an hour early to help you out. Hermione, you're coming with me," he demanded as he walked toward her.

It had been a while since they had heard George speak with such seriousness and authority, and infuriated Hermione to know it was directed towards her, though she couldn't quite tell why.

"Excuse me, but you can't just order me around, telling me where to go!"

"Alright then," she vaguely registered him mutter as she continued to yell at him all the reasons why she felt she couldn't leave, until his hands were firmly around her wrist and she felt the distinct tug and pull of Disapparating.

* * *

_"_You had better tell me where we are this instant, George Weasley."

Merlin, he hated how much he loved her taking that tone with him.

_"_Somewhere," he smirked.

_"_Thank you, Mr. Specific. Your attention to detail astounds me."

_"_I was rather eloquent, wasn't I?"

His smiled never faltered as she wrenched her arms out of his grasp. Her hair blew gently around her face as the breeze picked up.

He had to admit that he picked one hell of a place to take her. The pair stood alone on top of a hill not too far from Ottery St. Catchpole, the area sprinkled with large trees and what seemed like thousands of white and yellow flowers and tall grass. He wanted nothing more than to drag her with him to roll down the hill and dance around.

"You could have splinched me, you great bloody prat!"

"But I didn't."

"But you could have!"

"You're right, but you should know I'd never let anything like happen to you."

His smirk finally faded as he watched her try to cover her speechlessness by glancing around at their surroundings.

"I demand to know where we are right now, George," she yelled.

"It's not important, love."

George took the moment Hermione chose to gape at him to choose his next words carefully. The breeze picked up once again and filled the gap between them.

"For a second there, I thought I had lost you," he whispered.

The features of her face softened at his words as she looked him in the eye, her own searching for a better explanation than the weak ones she was currently getting from him.

"What are you talking about?"

"When I saw you leave the Leaky Cauldron with Ron from the window, I thought for a split second I'd lost you to him until I heard your conversation with Verity. I know it sounds dumb. I feel dumb for thinking it."

"I've told you before, George. The possibility of me getting back together with Ron is non-existent."

"Doesn't mean the thought doesn't terrify me, 'Mione," he whispered.

His words seemed to be carried off into the breeze that wrap around them. George took a few steps forward to close the distance between them. Her hands felt so small and yet seemed to fit so perfectly in his own when he reached out for them. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was slightly hung open, and it took everything in him not to shock her system further by tasting her lips again. Instead, he settled for bring her hands to his lips as he gently kissed her knuckles. George was sure she could feel the slight trembling in his hands, a mixture of nerves and agitation. He slowly lowered one hand and reached into his pocket and pulled out two dark pink treats.

"Newly-made batch of _properly_ naturally-cooled Confession Confections," he explained as he held them up for her to see. "Also with less Veritaserum should someone actually ingest five of these buggers."

Before she could stop him, he popped one of the treats in his mouth and one into hers.

"Payback, love," he chuckled as he watched her angrily swallow the treat. "It's just enough to help us get everything out in the open."

They stood in silence for the latter half of a minute before he spoke again, already feeling the slight effects of the treat kick in. This time, he wouldn't need to fight it.

"This... us... You know I'm not good at this Hermione, but I need you more than I've ever needed anyone before." George looked deep into her eyes as he continued to speak. "You want the truth? It scares the hell out of me, but I'm tired of running away from my feelings. It's not gonna be easy, and sometimes it might just mean I need you to give me a little push in the right direction, but I'm in love with you and I can't keep this to myself any longer or it might actually kill me."

Her head lowered as she squeezed her eyelids closed. He could see that she was struggling with not saying anything and not crying. He dropped her hands to cup her face and wipe away the tears that escaped. He could tell she was fighting the treat and whispered gently into her ear to just let go.

"I never meant to fall in love with you. It just sort of happened," she choked out.

Hearing her say those words made him feel elated inside. George pulled her into him and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He was relieved when she finally wrapped her arms around him and gripped the back of his shirt as if he were going to run away. George buried his face into her hair in the crook of her neck and took a deep breath, wanting to memorize everything about this moment.

"You know that it won't be easy, and there will be moments where we annoy the bloody hell out of each other," he whispered into her ear. "But I want you to know that I love you, and nothing will change that. I just need you to give me a chance to prove it to you."

Her hands made their way from his back to his chest to gently push away from him.

"Why me?"

George stared at her as if she had grown a second head. Why not her, he asked himself as she continued to stare at him with watery eyes. Catching on to his confusion, Hermione continued.

"George, I'm your younger brother's ex-girlfriend. We grew up being at odds with each other. I am... I'm broken, George. I'm a complete mess, and... a-and I'm not even your type!"

"How would you know what my type is?" He interrupted.

"George, honestly. Think about this. What if we're making a huge mistake? What if we're mistaking close friendship for more? I can't go through that again. I've rebuilt my life around you without even meaning to. If this fails, I have nothing again."

George leaned his forehead against Hermione and placed his hand behind her head to prevent her from trying to run from him, so sure that she would.

"You, my dear, are a challenge."

Hermione let out an undignified snort that made him laugh.

"No, really. You're the only person I know that has challenged me as much as you have since I first bloody met you. You know, you're the reason Fred and I became so good at hiding our pranks in school. Every time we came up with a new invention, it was like we couldn't help but think of you and how we would get our tricks past you. If we could play pranks without you finding out in the middle and setting everything off, we had done well.

"These days, you're helping me create those pranks. You're too bloody brilliant for your own good, and I find that so incredibly sexy. You've broken nearly as many rules in school as Fred and I had, if not more. And what's even better is that you did it for the right reasons. You're as much of my opposite as you are my equal. Never in a million lifetimes did I think I'd ever find that."

George pulled away and stood in front of her with his hands in his pockets.

"We've all got our scars, Hermione, but maybe this was how it was always supposed to be. Maybe, in our past lives, we had it too easy. Maybe we always found each other right off the bat and decided we wanted a bigger challenge. We've never been ones to take the easy road in life."

It felt like hours as they stood there, staring at each other as if to prolong this moment and memorize everything about it. He watched as her eyes slowly began to drift from his eyes to his mouth. Hermione leaned into him hesitantly, her eyes shifting from his eyes to his lips again. George couldn't restrain himself any longer. It was all the invitation he needed to shoot his hands up to grab her arms and crash his lips against hers. She let out a faint moan as he felt her return the kiss with passion of her own. This time, she tasted like peppermint lip balm and butterbeer, and it drove him wild. Her lips felt like home.

The first time they had kissed, it had been too quick for his liking. He couldn't enjoy it as much as he would have liked to because of nervousness, but the act itself had burned into his memory and haunted his every waking moment. The taste of hot cocoa and just a hint of the peppermint stick she had in it burned into his taste buds for months. Despite the warmer weather, he still found himself enjoying a cuppa every time he was alone in his office working on paperwork.

Their second kiss had been intense and passionate, both of them losing themselves in the moment and unwilling to let such a moment pass without indulging themselves. Feeling her mold into him as she parted her lips and moan excited him beyond belief. When he Apparated them to his bedroom, he had every intention of having his way with her right then and there. After seeing her on his bed beneath him, the vision of lust and love evident her eyes were the only things that gave him pause. He wanted all of her and give her all of himself. The feel of her skin still tingled his fingertips. Every time he touched himself he couldn't help but think of how soft she felt and how much more of her he'd yet to feel.

This kiss, however, was different. Better, in his opinion. There was nothing but truth; there was no hiding behind tricked moments or inebriation. This was them, and this was all George had wanted since he became a permanent resident in the little cottage in Coatham. This time, he promised himself he would take his time. If this kiss was the only way he would be able to express to her how badly he wanted the chance to love her, he wanted to make it count.

He felt her lips part slowly and her tongue run across his bottom lip. The motion made him lose his breath in surprise and allowed his own tongue to dance alongside hers. She had a death grip on him of which he had no plans of moving out of it. As he pulled his lips apart from hers to trail a series of kisses down her neck, he opened his eyes slightly to chance a glance at the area around him. The sky seemed grayer and the air a bit colder than when they had first arrived. The clouds overhead had thickened, the threat of rain evident in their darker tones.

George reached behind him to grab hold of her hands and guide them back in front of them. Her eyes were still closed as he forced himself to stop feeling her soft skin against his lips. George leaned his forehead against her own.

"Promise me you won't run away from this anymore," he breathed.

"I promise," she replied softly.

The beginning sprinkles of rain pitter-pattered gradually around them as the two friends stood there, both lost in their own thoughts as they internally glanced at the last 10 years of their lives and where it had brought them. George knew this was their moment, that this was when the darkness in their lives would be lifted and they would see the light at the end of the tunnel. It would be a long and hard road, but he knew as long as they were together, they would be invincible.

* * *

The Burrow was bustling with family and friends for the weekly family dinner that Friday night. Ron sat quietly in the corner of the living room playing a game of chess with Harry, lost more in thought than the thrill of the game. His mind wandered back to his chance run-in with Hermione on Diagon Alley earlier that week. She had been just as beautiful as he remembered her being. There was a bond between them still that he refused to deny existed. The more they talked, the more comfortable they began to be with one another again. He realized that evening that he missed her more than he realized. He realized too soon after ending their relationship that he had ended one of the best friendships he had ever had.

Despite his contemplative nature, he was feeling pretty good about life that night. Ron knew that Hermione would be joining them that evening and that he would finally be able to get some more comfortable alone time with her. He knew that he could easily win this round of chess with Harry in two moves that Harry hadn't accounted for. He knew Ginny, Katie and Charlie were in the kitchen with their mother and Andromeda, that Percy and Bill were at the kitchen table engrossed in a conversation regarding the Ministry with their father, and that his nephews and nieces were seated on the couch near the fireplace playing a game of their own unique creation with Teddy.

What he didn't know was that he would see George and Hermione stumble through the fireplace a moment later, laughing heartily about a subject only they knew. He didn't know that they would be so lost in their conversation that they completely ignored everyone around them. Ron could never have known that George placing his hand on Hermione's lower back as he pushed her in the direction of the kitchen would upset him so badly, or make him feel heat slowly rise into the tips of his ears as he notice George leave his hand there and rub small circles onto her back, because Ron would never had guessed that his older brother and his childhood best friend (and ex-girlfriend) could ever possibly be interested in each other _in that way_.

He quickly ended the game he had allowed to be dragged out in two simple moves, casually excused himself from the table to made his way to the kitchen. The best part about the extensive Auror training he went through was the way he was able to move from situation to situation with a sense of finesse that rivaled the twins in their day. His poker face was much more intact, and though his anger still could get to the best of him it took much more to get him to show it.

He couldn't understand why seeing the secret smiles and sideways glances the two shared made him so angry. She was a free woman and he was a free man and, logically, what they did in the privacy of the home they shared was their business. Hermione wasn't his to be concerned with. Ron always questioned whether or not leaving Hermione for his first girlfriend was a wise idea.

As he watched George and Hermione during dinner tell stories to the rest of the family members, he forced himself to laugh along as he analyzed every move, every touch, every look. There was a sparkle in both of their eyes he'd never seen before. He blamed it on his Auror training as the reason he pulled his older brother onto the staircase and questioned George on the actions he'd seen between the two that night.

"Hey, mate," he started. "Not that its much of my business, but what's happening between you and 'Mione?"

There was a hesitation in George that would only have been visible to the trained eye.

"Don't know what you speak of, little brother."

Ron rolled his eyes.

"You can be honest, George. I'm just curious, is all."

And really, he was sure that was all. A knowing, mischievous smile crept onto George's lips that Ron hadn't seen since Fred was still alive.

"I'm not sure just yet, but I'm hoping something soon."

As he watched George walk away with a hitch in his step and sneak up behind Hermione to scare her, a rage steadily built within him that he was sure would break him.

"We'll just see about that," was all he said as Teddy pulled him into a new game of chess.

* * *

"_Tell me, you stupid child!"_

"_I don't know!"_

"_TELL ME NOW!"_

_Hermione's screams echoed within the massive room of Malfoy manor as she saw a bright light shoot from the wand Bellatrix LeStrange held before a blind pain spread through her abdomen. From off in the distance, past the ringing in her ears from the pain and Bellatrix's insistent yelling, she could vaguely hear Ron screaming her name. They were still alive, and there was still a chance they could all make it out alive._

"_YOU STUPID MUDBLOOD! HOW DO YOU STEAL THE SWORD FROM MY VAULT?! TELL ME NOW! CRUCIO!"_

_She screamed and writhed under the pain and wanted so badly to beg for death to come for her quickly. Tears flooded from her eyes as her body twisted and jerked under the curses' power aimed at her became stronger with each go._

"_It's a fake. It's a fake," she repeated like a prayer. Her voice was strangled as she struggled to speak between curses._

"_This can't be a fake. You will pay for your lies, mudblood," Bellatrix spoke menacingly as she rushed next to Hermione._

_Suddenly, Hermione noticed she couldn't move, as if there were chains bounding her to the floor. It took everything in her not to panic over what was to come next. Her left arm was forced to be stretched out from her side. Hermione shuddered under feeling Bellatrix's cold and clammy hand hold her wrist down. She let out another scream as the feeling of razors cut deep into the skin._

"_Now everyone will know that your blood is as dirty as your lies. Tell me, who could love a woman marked? No matter, you won't live long enough to know what love is," Bellatrix whispered into her ear._

_Curiosity got the best of Hermione. She slowly turned her head to see blood pooling under her arm. Her arm, which had the word "Mudblood" carved into, burned with a dull pain. She knew that if she were to make it out of this alive, the pain would sure hurt, as it should. However, she didn't have much time to dwell on this as several more cruciatus curses were shot through her. Her voice was too hoarse to keep screaming._

"_HERMIONE! HERMIONE!"_

_Ron's voice from below her seemed louder than it had been before. His voice was the only thing she could hear as Bellatrix continued to torture her._

"_Hermione!"_

_This voice seemed familiar, safe. It wasn't Ron's, but it felt like they were right next to her. '_They've come to save me,'_ she thought._

"_Please," she begged at the voice. "Please help me."_

"_Hermione! You need to wake up, Hermione!" The voice called to her again._

"_Please," she whispered._

_The pain was easing away and she knew that death had finally come to save her from this hell. '_Coming_,' she thought._

"Hermione!"

Hermione shot up in bed and near collided with another body.

"No," she muttered. "No, stay away from me."

She was panicking. She was bound to the floor again and they were going to finish her off. She had to get away.

"Hermione, no! It's ok, love. You're safe!"

She couldn't listen to the voice. It was lying to her to make her think she was safe. A pair of hands grabbed her face and forced her to look them in the eye. Deep blue eyes seemed to shine inside the dark room like a beacon of hope. Slowly, red hair and freckles came into view.

"It's me, George. It was just a dream. You're safe, love, I promise," he said with haste.

Hermione started to regain control of her breathing. She felt herself being pulled into his arms; rocking her with a slow beat she could match her heart rate to. She was secretly proud of herself for not crying this time.

When she was sure she was fine again, Hermione pulled herself out of George's hold, but held him in place to ensure he wouldn't leave. She felt as George placed gentle kisses all over her head as he repeatedly told her that she was safe. She leaned up to kiss him, grateful that he had convinced her to give this a shot. Hermione breathed in his scent and reveled in the fact that he smelled like parchment and freshly mowed grass with a small hint of potion smoke.

He pulled away sooner than she had wanted. She was afraid that he was going to leave her. Subconsciously, her grip on his arms tightened out of fear. She didn't need to worry too much, however. George climbed onto the bed and pulled back the blankets to lie beside her. Without her needing to ever ask, he gently pushed her down onto the bed to lie flat on her back. He lowered himself to lie on his side and wrapped a protective arm across her. George kissed her on her forehead, her nose and, finally, her lips before closing his eyes. The last thing Hermione saw as she fell asleep that night was George's gentle features as she thanked the Universe for sending her such a selfless and patient man.


	14. Flashbacks and Echoes

**Chapter 14 - Flashbacks and Echoes**

"How about a quill that squirts ink every time you -"

"We've already got it."

"How a parchment that jumbles what you -"

"Its called the Jumble Bundle and we sell it in packs of four."

She let out a heavy sigh and slumped in her chair before jolting back up and giving their brainstorming session one last go.

"Ok, I've got it. What about a handkerchief that spreads ink all over your face when you use it?"

"That's really pushing it, Hermione. I mean, we can make it, but I don't know how well something like that would do. A bit amateurish, if you ask me, and we've got enough lines of those."

Hermione threw her hands in the air as she leaned back in her seat. She had spent the better part of the morning racking her brain for something original that reflected her only to come up fairly empty handed. And really, it was her fault. She knew she should have been cross-referencing the inventory books to ensure she was coming up with unique pranks. After four hours of going back and forth from her notes to the books, she decided that it would be easier and faster to just write everything down and bounce ideas with George when he came in for their daily two-hour meeting between swifts. She watched as George stood from his chair and crossed the room. He bent forward, leaning his hands on the armrests of her chair.

"Stop trying to force it, love. You're absolutely brilliant and I know you're going to come up with something that's going to blow the lids off these wankers. Just... stop being so hard on yourself. Let the ideas come to you."

Hermione nodded her head. Logically, he was correct. She was quickly learning that creating prank products was very different than pushing parchment at the Ministry or trying to come up with ways to destroy Horcruxes. Those were things that had absolute solutions to very evident problems. Trying to come up with a new and innovative product took creativity, something Hermione wasn't exactly used to.

When she had accepted this challenge months ago, she had only been exposed to finishing off previously conceived products or had co-created them with the help of George. For the briefest of moments, Hermione wished she had spent a little more time experiencing life while in school as Fred and George had, and just a little less time with her head stuck in a book.

"Trust me, Hermione, if you weren't doing a good job I would be telling you. You believe you're doing a good job, yeah?"

George soothing voice gently guided her away from her thoughts.

"Of course," she responded with a smile.

"Good. You know, perhaps a quick trip to the shop for a new book might help distract you enough to clear that intricate brain of yours for a few hours. You know, help you restart the creative process and all that. I know getting away from the lab for a few hours always helps me."

Hermione let out a soft chuckle.

"I don't always need a book, George. I'm perfectly capable of purchasing other things."

"I know," he laughed. Hermione took the outstretched hand George had extended out to her and stood. "But I think we both know that it makes you happy. And who knows, maybe one of those characters will give you just the inspiration you need."

George gave her a soft kiss and squeezed her shoulders before heading back into the main part of the shop. He paused at the door frame and turned back to Hermione.

"Since we're not going to really see much of each other over the next 48 hours, I thought I'd check really quick that we're still on for Wednesday night?"

"Oh, you mean the infamous night where I've given you one - and only one, mind you - chance to dazzle and convince me that you're boyfriend material. Yes, I suppose I've remembered to pencil in time for it in my ever-filling schedule."

"Now I know you're feeling better because you're being cheeky! Have fun, love," he joked before heading out of the office.

Hermione giggled to herself as George and Lee's voice dripped into the room as they over-enthusiastically explained the function and benefits of a few different products to a group of children.

Yes, perhaps what she needed was to view the world of humor and humility through the eyes of another, even if they were just fictional characters. The only situations where she's ever wanted to seek revenge on people had resulted rather... well, maliciously. She definitely couldn't create a trick that would trap someone in a jar or one that would have them attacked by Centaurs.

She grabbed her cloak and handbag off the coat rack and began to head through the store to the front doors. On her way out, George's smiling face as he helped out a group of giggling teenage girls caught her eye. She waved at him and felt just a tint of heat tickle her cheeks at the wink he sent back at her. Perhaps, she mischievously pondered, she'd pick out a new little number or two for him to enjoy during their date while she was out and about.

Ron was never quite sure why he found walking through Muggle London so appealing. Yet, every time he needed to clear his mind, he would wander around the few blocks just outside of the Ministry gathering his thoughts and enjoy the ability to lose himself amongst a large group of people who knew nothing about him. He always chalked it up to Harry and Hermione's insistent badgering of sharing this aspect of their life with him. He hadn't minded, though. Here, he was just another bloke on the road rather than one-third of the Wizarding World's infamous Golden Trio.

He let out a heavy sigh as he passed a coffee shop he and Hermione would visit during the time they dated. It was their special place to get together and complain about their many idiotic co-workers and the unprofessional string of words they often wished they could say to them. Ron had once tried to bring Lavender to this coffee shop, but she wasn't interested in the menu, nor in his choice of topics. He eventually had to rush them out of the small cafe as she started drawing attention to herself in her intrigue of the cell phones and laptops some of the other patrons were using.

That was yet another relationship he had managed to ruin without meaning to. Things had been so much easier when he was with Hermione. Their long-standing friendship had made it easy for him to read her and know what to do. If he messed up, she had no problem pointing it out immediately. If he did the right thing and was romantic, he would be rewarded properly. With Lavender, things were cryptic and confusing. When she was mad at him, it would take him days to figure out what happened. When she was pleased with him her enthusiasm would be almost too much to handle. Sure, she had matured after the War and surviving nearly dying at the hands of the enemy but, unlike most others he knew, she was determined to stand unchanged by the events. Throughout their entire relationship, all he wanted to do was talk to Hermione. Unfortunately, she was the one person he felt couldn't talk to, especially not about that.

* * *

Ron hadn't meant to stray this far from the Ministry. Normally, he was able to keep his wits about him long enough to stick to the places he knew. Sure, he could just duck into an alleyway and Apparate back, but Muggles were tricky buggers that had a tendency to pop up at the most inappropriate moments for him. Merlin knows the number of reports he'd had to submit during his first two years of training about them. He paused to look around and see if there was any recognizable markers for him to work off of for the moment, when he caught the smallest of curly locks disappear behind a wall from inside a shop across the street.

He knew that there were tons of birds with curly brown hair in the world and this particular set could have belonged to anyone. Ron knew better, though. Curiosity (or was it masochism) got the better of him. After narrowly avoiding two cars and a bicyclist, Ron found himself standing in front of the shop window staring at Hermione Granger as she admired how she looked in the mirror.

Her dress was red. He felt his heart sink and his blood boil as he realized it was the same shade of red that she wore the night of their first date so many years ago. For months after that, seeing the color red on her made his heart race in remembrance. The differences were there, he sadly noted, but the similarities couldn't be ignored. This dress, like the one before, had fit her like a glove and made her appear classy and elegant and well out the Weasleys' league. Instead of sleeves, the dress was held onto her by two narrow straps on her delicate shoulders. There was a thick stripe of black at her waist that reminding him of the black shawl she had worn the night of their date when cool summer breeze took them both off guard.

With his first date with Lavender, she had worn a tight-fitting, low-cut black dress accented with a single orange jeweled necklace and orange handbag. The Chudley Cannons, Ron's favorite quidditch team, had played and won their first home game earlier that day. Lavender had told him that while she didn't own much orange as it simply didn't bode well with her complexion, she wanted to show her support of his favorite team as best she could. Ron had been flattered by the gesture and thanked her as he let her through the door of the restaurant. He let out a tired sigh at the memories as he drew his attention back at the girl in the window.

After Hermione turned this way and that, clearly pleased with how the dress appeared on her, she stepped into the heels on the floor in front of her. Ron watched as the heels changed from a glittery silver to a shimmery red to match her dress. It was then that Ron realized that those color-changing shoes George sold at the store.

"George," he whispered to himself.

It all made sense now as to why Hermione - whom he still couldn't help thinking of as _his_ Hermione - was shopping in Muggle London for a _dress_, of all things. This wasn't just some random trip to clear her mind or just be girly for a day. The Hermione Granger he knew read books and learned and performed complicated spells that most wizards wished they knew, she did not waste precious time on such frivolous things. No, this trip was to shop specifically for a dress meant for a _date_ with _his_ _brother_. On top of that, she was buying a similar dress to the one she worn on _their_ first date to wear on a first date with George. As hurt and angered as this notion made him, he couldn't help but also feel determined and hopeful that she hadn't forgotten about him just yet. That maybe, just maybe, this was the sign from the heavens that he was looking for to lead him in the right direction.

Ron shook his head as he turned from the window and headed for the nearest alleyway to Apparate back to work. He couldn't stand to be there any longer and see her get excited to give her heart to another man. As he headed down the hallway to step into his sad excuse of a cubicle, he felt guilty for being upset with her for wanting to move on. He knew it would happen eventually, he just didn't think it was going to happen when he wanted to give them another go.

He knew from his brief talk with George at the family dinner a few nights ago, as well as a few overheard conversations between his sister and best friend, that Hermione and George's dinner date was set for Wednesday night. He had roughly two days to figure out a way to get Hermione to cancel her date with George long enough to hear out his side of all this.

When Ron woke up that particular Monday morning, he knew it was going to be a hard day to handle. He had no idea it was going to be this hard.

* * *

Percy knew he wasn't one with the right to pass judgment off on others. He had spent the majority of his youth with a very incorrect outlook on life and his priorities. It was unfortunate that it wasn't until his younger brother died before his eyes that he had enough wits about himself to admit his wrongfulness and try his damnedest to proper his blunders. At Fred's funeral, Percy made a silent promise to him to ease up and enjoy what life had to offer.

Dating Katie had made this promise easier to keep. She gave him a reason to relax and a reason to allow himself to love another. She was the perfect balance of fun and serious that he desperately needed in a companion. Their intrusively active schedules never got in the way of their relationship, which he couldn't say for his relationships with his last two girlfriends, Penelope and Audrey. Loving Katie came as easy to him as breathing.

Even his relationship with his family had improved over the years. As a surprise, Percy had assisted Ginny with a prank against their older siblings, Bill and Charlie, at Christmas two years prior. It hadn't been much, but he had a great go at it regardless. Ginny had been the hardest one to reform a relationship with. Bill and Charlie understood that it was merely adolescent ignorance and forgave him immediately. George had forgiven him without hesitation because Fred had, and because he knew that Percy was the one who would unnecessarily forever live with the guilt of Fred's death. Ron's forgiveness had come from Hermione's pressuring, but he was grateful for it all the same.

Ginny, however, wouldn't budge for months. Even when she did eventually forgive him, it didn't come verbally. He had been ok with it, though. He knew he didn't deserve it for how much he had ignored her throughout their upbringing. So, when she approached him that quiet Christmas Eve with plans of a prank and wanted him to help, he couldn't help be seem slightly reproachful about what her intentions might have been.

"No, I want _you_ to help me, Perce," she had told him after he suggested the dozen other family members present that evening. She had walked away before he had a chance to argue his case.

To this day he was glad he had agreed. They really were the perfect pair of bandits to pull off pranks, he realized that day. They were the only two that could hold a straight face and keep their excitement completely intact for 24 hours straight. No one questioned their silence that night. As they discretely placed George's miniature fireworks in key strategic places around the living room, no one noticed their silent messages through eye contact alone. They couldn't risk speaking in private again that night nor could they risk attempting soft head nods, what with Ron and Harry at the peak of their Auror training, George's acute means of smelling a prank happening a hundred kilometers away and Hermione's knack of sensing someone breaking the rules a minute before they did it.

The fireworks went off successfully the next night, scaring the magic out of every single person in attendance that night as they watched silently from the landing on the second floor; both assailants wearing calm, satisfied smirks on their faces as they watched the chaos ensue.

"To Fred," she told him as she extended her glass out to toast him.

"To Fred," he agreed.

From then on, it seemed that Ginny and he had the ability to communicate with each other about certain things with nothing more than a glance. It wasn't all things, but very specific things. It wasn't often, but when it happened he paid very close attention.

As he made brief eye contact with Ginny across their parents' dining table that night, he knew there was something afoot that he needed to know about. What exactly he hadn't been able to figure out for the past 15 minutes. The only thing off about that particular night was that Harry, Ron and Ginny had joined himself and their parents for dinner. It wasn't that unusual, however. The three of them always made it a point to come for dinner when they could. Molly and Arthur both listened deeply as Harry and Ron went into detail about the new things they were covering that month in their training.

"So, Perce, how's everything going with Katie? Is she still living with George and Hermione at the Cottage?"

And there it was; the reason for Ginny's silent communication. It wasn't like Ron to be interested in his dating life and when Ron's question included George and Hermione, Percy knew why there was the slightest sliver of worry deep in Ginny's eyes. To everyone else at the table, it was a harmless conversation topic that held no particular double meaning whatsoever.

"We're doing really great, actually," he replied. "She's enjoying living with those two troublemakers immensely. They make quite the trio."

He knew that last bit was a low blow against Harry and his younger brother, but they needed to hear it. Percy had been there a few times for Hermione's "bad days" when she missed her friends and waited patiently for those two imbeciles to write her back only to receive nothing for days on end. He knew they were busy, but they all were. Ginny always wrote back within a day of receiving her letters, and even Percy would set out a moment to chat with Hermione when he would visit with Katie.

"In fact," he continued, "Katie was just telling me the other day that George and Hermione will be having their first date on Wednesday night."

After he glanced at Ginny again, he realized that releasing that tiny bit of information might not have been the best decision.

"That's wonderful! I'm sure they'll have a great time," he heard his father chime.

"Can't say I saw that one coming," Harry commented, "but they've really been there for each other. I'm glad they've decided to try it out. Don't you, Ron?"

The table had gone silent for too many heartbeats before Ron finally finished chewing his food to respond. His calm façade made Percy feel more apprehensive about the situation. While Ron had matured quite a bit since starting his Auror training and learned to keep himself in check, something still didn't feel quite right.

"Might be a bit of a bad idea, don't you think? I mean, what if it doesn't work out?" Ron continued after no one spoke. "They still have to work and live together at the end of the day, after all."

"I'm sure George and Hermione have already taken that into deep consideration and decided the appropriate course of action should things not work between them," Percy defended.

As much as Ron had tried to keep his emotions in check, the tiniest tips of his ears turning the lightest shade of pink for the briefest of moments was not lost upon his siblings as it had been on his best friend and parents.

The remainder of dinner went by rather uneventful. Percy snuck glances at his younger sister when he could and continued their silent eye conversations. Something was definitely not right here and they could both feel the calm before the storm. Since Ron's break-up with Lavender, he had begun correspondence with Hermione again but seemed almost secretive about it. He had heard from Katie and George that Hermione had a chance run-in with Ron the day they had decided to pursue a relationship. While he knew Ron thought he was doing well at hiding his feelings, Percy had seen his reaction at the Friday night family dinner a few days ago. His facial expression had remained neutral, but his eyes glared daggers at George the entire night. If George hadn't been soloist in his new found bliss with Hermione, he might have noticed this and not easily confessed to their younger brother his intentions of dating Hermione properly.

"Gin," he called out to her as the three began making their way to the fireplace to head back to Grimmauld Place. "Katie had a question about your upcoming game schedule. I wrote it down, but it's up in my room. Do you have a quick moment to wait for me to bring it down?"

"Of course! You lot go on ahead and I'll be there in a mo," she told the boys.

Percy made his way up slowly to the first landing and listened carefully for the distinct sounds of the Floo activating as Ron and Harry made their way out of the house.

"They're gone, Perce. You can come back down now."

"Let's talk outside," Percy said as he stepped back onto the ground floor. "I wouldn't put it past them to be listening from the Floo."

Percy lead the way through the house and out the back door in the kitchen. Once sure that the two were alone without any wandering ears, the two got down to business.

"I don't trust him, Ginny. Something is quite off with Ronald right now."

"I know. Honestly, since Friday night he's been too quiet. He's definitely planning something, but I can't figure out a good way to find out. And I don't want to have to drag Harry into this. He hates getting caught between Ron and Hermione. If we ask too much, he'll catch on-"

"And if you ask too little, then we won't get the proper information we need to warn George."

Ginny scrunched her eyes in confusion at him.

"Why just warn George? Hermione's perfectly capable of handling him."

"Of course she is, that wasn't what I was trying to imply. The matter of the fact is that George is pursuing Ron's ex-girlfriend. This is something that needs to be handled by George. If Hermione believes that she is coming in between brothers, she'll call off the date and never go on another with George again. You know I'm correct on this."

He watched as Ginny scrubbed her face with her hands before crossing her arms in front of her. The wheels were turning in her head, but could see that she hadn't considered that particular fact originally.

"First," she started, "we need to figure out what the hell he's planning. We can't do anything until then. If George started dating Katie nearly a year after you left her, what would you do?"

Percy's heart sank into his stomach. He knew exactly what he'd do: he'd sabotage their happiness before it would ever have a real start. However, Percy was a bit more like Bill and Charlie, subtle when it came to his scheming and lost himself in the planning. Ron was much more like Fred and George, in that sense. He went for the kill with no remorse whatsoever. With the Auror training he'd be going through, there was no way to tell just what an angered Ron was capable of these days.

"This isn't going to end well, Ginny, and I don't think we'll be able to stop it from happening."

* * *

The next evening, Ginny Weasley looked at the letter she had received from Hermione as she readied dinner for the evening. Her foot shook anxiously as she chewed on a chunk of hair, watching the spoon stir the contents of the pot. Normally, she loved nights like this where she actually had time to cook. Since her schedule was usually jammed pack and sporadic, Harry was the one who usually ended up doing most of the cooking. Not that he minded, though. Unlike cooking for his aunt, uncle and cousin growing up, she knew he actually loved to cook for her. She would never admit to anyone, save for him and Hermione, that Harry's cooking was the best she ever had. Tonight, however, wasn't a normal evening at home.

_Gin - _

_I'd love to come by for dinner! George will be working late at the shop tonight, and Katie has a date with Percy. So, it will be just me tonight. See you then!_

_Hermione_

Of course, Ginny knew that George and Katie would be too busy to join them tonight when she sent the invite to Hermione earlier in the day. She had been in contact with Percy all day going over possible dialogue and menu items, and ensuring that the roommates of both households would be too preoccupied to crash the dinner. Ginny reread the letter while she contemplated how she was going to prevent Ron from screwing up yet another relationship for Hermione. She was jolted out of her thoughts as she felt Harry's arms wrap around her waist and his chin rest on her shoulder.

"Is that from Hermione?"

"Yeah," she told him as she turned to face him. "I invited her, George and Katie for dinner tonight, but she's the only one that will be able to make it."

"That's great! I'm actually glad George and Katie won't be here. No offense to them, of course. It just feels like it's been months since I've properly spent time with 'Mione."

"That's because it has been," Ginny laughed.

"That's right! I really am a horrible friend, aren't I? Where's the spare parchment? I'm going to write her a quick note back."

She watched as her fiancée ran around kitchen to gather a quill and parchment. Curiosity getting the better of her, she peered over Harry's shoulder to read his note.

_Mione -_

_We can't wait! Be prepared to stay a while, though. Ginny and I will be talking your ear off!_

_- H_

Harry gave the rolled note to their owl, Orion, and the two watched as the young owl fly quickly away. It didn't take long for her to feel Harry's gaze move from the window to her. He was reading her and she hated when he did that.

"Oh no, what happened?"

"Nothing!"

"Something's wrong. Is it Hermione? Did they call it off? The date, that is. Is it us? What have I done this time? Damnit, I told Ron you wouldn't like the cookbook I bought you. I swear I was only trying to give you something I honestly thought you'd enjoy and-"

"Harry! Shut it for ten seconds, will you?" Ginny interrupted him, laughing. "It's not any of those things. It's just... It's nothing, I'm sure."

"Well, then what is it?"

Ginny wasn't quite sure what to tell him. She knew that Harry always felt terrible whenever he was brought into the middle of one of Ron and Hermione's arguments.

"When I figure it out, I promise I'll tell you. Ok?" She told him as she turned back to her cooking.

She knew the likelihood of Harry dropping the matter easily was slim to none. Ginny knew that Harry would be over analyzing every aspect of the evening to try and figure out what was going on and why Hermione would be involved. For a brief moment, she contemplated asking Percy how he felt about telling Harry, but quickly changed her mind. She watched as Harry retreated from the kitchen to wash and change for dinner. No, this would be better dealt with by the two of them alone. Katie would tell George if she found out, and Harry would blow their cover to Ron the second it seemed that he was going to step a toe out of line.

Ginny flicked her wand and watched as the dinnerware floated from their respective spots and onto the table. With another flick and a muttered spell, the food separated itself into the previously laid out serving bowls and plates on the table.

"Now I just have to make sure I don't mess this up," she muttered to herself.

"If you tell me, I'm sure I can help."

Ginny yelped a bit and turned around to face Harry once again. She really needed to start watching herself better. This was the second time that night Harry had managed to sneak up on her.

"Seriously, love. You don't have to do this alone. I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on. I'm a big boy. If I can handle Voldemort, I like to think I can handle anything you throw at me."

Ginny stared at Harry. His facial features were one of concern and worry. She could feel herself breaking as the silence grew more and more.

"Ron's-sabotaging-George-and-Hermione's-relationsh ip!"

'_You used to be so much better at keepin' secrets before you shacked up with this bloke,'_ she thought with disappointment._ 'Now look at you.' _Honestly, when she imagined how she was going to tell Harry about Ron, she didn't picture herself blurting it out at him in the form of a scream. Here they were, though, staring at each other in the kitchen with wide eyes as the sound of their doorbell resounded throughout the ground floor of their home. Ginny fought with Harry at the kitchen doorway desperately trying to sidestep around him to get into the hallway.

"He's _what?_"

"We don't have time to talk about this now-"

"The hell we don't-"

"She's at the door, Harry -"

"It's a big house, Gin, she'll understand if we take a minute to get to the door. Now, stop wasting time!"

The irritated witch closed her eyes as she took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Percy and I realized at dinner last night that Ron has it in his mind that he can win Hermione back before George takes her on their date tomorrow night. We don't know how or when he's going to do it - hell, we don't even know what he's going to do - but he's going to sabotage their date. We can't tell Hermione, though. Percy said that this is a fight between brothers and it has to stay this way."

"So you're trying to find a way to warn her without actually warning her."

Ginny nodded her head at Harry's conclusion.

"What about George, though? Surely you or Percy can tell him about what's happening."

The doorbell rang again. Fed up, Ginny placed her hands on Harry's chest and forced him to walk backwards and out of her way.

"We're still trying to figure out how to bring it up to him," she told him as she headed down to let Hermione in. "Percy's job was to keep Katie busy so I could pick Hermione's brain about her and George and their date as much as possible."

Ginny paused briefly with her hand on the doorknob and turned to her best friend and love of her life.

"Remember, we can't tell her and we can't be too cryptic because she'll read into it perfectly and try to stop it herself."

Dinner went fairly smoothly for the rest of the evening. Still of unsure how to bring up the subject of Hermione's love life without spilling all of the beans, Harry and Ginny stuck to safer topics like her employment at the WWW and the latest books she had picked up in the past month. When those topics ran dry, they redirected their attention to their upcoming nuptials. They took turns going into deep detail about different aspects of the wedding to allow the other to come up with a good opening line.

"It sounds like you guys have almost everything planned out! Just let me know when you're ready to go dress shopping and I'm there."

Ginny heard the smallest hint of pride in her voice. Hermione would usually get easily excited when someone told her about their very organized and well thought out plans.

"And since we're on the subject, can we expect to put George at the head table with us. You know, as your date for the wedding?"

The couple watched a small blush appeared on Hermione's cheeks.

"Well, I suppose if all goes well with our date tomorrow night, then yes. I would love for him to be my date to the wedding. However, let's wait until that time comes. I don't want to plan that far in advance before I even know what's happening between us. Either way, we'll both be in the wedding so it doesn't really matter if we're there as a couple or just a couple of friends, right?"

Silence fell upon the three for a few moments while they continued to eat their meals. Ginny seemed to be at a loss for words. How was she going to find a way to warn her friend about her ex-boyfriend without causing too much alarm? She chanced a glance at Harry while Hermione stared at her next bite. Even he seemed lost in his thoughts.

"So, Ron seems to be handling this well," Harry said casually.

Hermione choked a little on the food she had in her mouth, but managed to recover well. Ginny felt her heart stop when Hermione's eyes darted uncertainly between the pair.

"He knows?" She asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Well, yeah," Harry replied. "He noticed you and George flirting a bit at the family dinner and asked George about it. He didn't lose his top over it, so I suppose he's taking it well."

"Oh."

"Oh?"

"That's good," Hermione told them. "To be honest, I completely forgot about Ron and how he might take this. I didn't tell him about it when we ran into each other last week."

"Well, you're not really his responsibility anymore," Ginny pointed out casually, inwardly cursing Harry for jumping them into this conversation before she was prepared. If there was anything Fred and George had taught her over the years though, it was the ability to think on her feet and jump with a grace to be reviled with. She'd be damned if she botched this up. "Nor is he yours. To be honest, I'm much happier to see you with George than Ron."

Ginny tried to keep her composure in check as Hermione's eyes widened with shock at her statement.

It was true, though. Ginny, much like her mother, desperately wanted Hermione to be a part of the family. She just never felt that her dear brother fully deserved her after years of stupidity weighed heavily on their friendship and eventually became the downfall of their mediocre 3-year romance. It angered Ginny to think her brother was daft enough to believe he could have Hermione when it was convenient for him.

When she had first heard of George moving into The Cottage, it had thrown everyone off guard. As time had passed, the two of them becoming fast friends on their way to be lovers seemed to just fit, she supposed. Hermione needed a man that could match her intellectually and stimulate her emotionally. Where Ron had frustrated and contained her, George excited her and helped her find a new form of freedom and independence from the Golden Trio.

Initially, Ginny had worried that the bonds forming amongst Hermione, George, Katie and Percy would lead to the distancing of the friendship formed with her, Harry and Ron. She realized after George's blow out with Harry and her apologetic conversation at Christmas that they would have deserved it for how they were treating Hermione. Over the years, they had taken advantage of her friendship and there was only so much a person could take. _'Merlin knows Hermione's taken more than her fair share,'_ she mused.

"Well, thank you. It means a lot to us that you both support us. I'll admit I did carry some concerns on how the family would take it."

"I wouldn't get too excited just yet. Mum, dad, Bill and Charlie still haven't heard about your happy union. Prepare yourself for the teasing and the wedding planning."

Ginny chuckled as she watched Hermione roll her eyes at the notion.

"Oh, honestly. We haven't even had our first date yet and everyone acts as if we'll be together indefinitely! You couldn't possibly figure that out after the first date. And we haven't even had it yet. Besides," Hermione added, "we have to do this properly and carefully. There's a lot more at stake here than just a couple of friends testing the waters."

"That's what Ron said yesterday," Harry said.

A small gasp of breath escaped his mouth after Ginny successfully managed to kick him under the table.

"What do you mean?" Hermione questioned, her voice filled with suspicion.

Ginny loved and adored her fiancée. He was the light of her life and her personal hero. But at that particular moment, she wanted to strangle him until his eyes popped out of their sockets. She knew they were in for it now.

"It was nothing," Harry rushed to say, backtracking as much as possible when he realized his mistake. "He had asked Percy about the issues that could possibly arise and he told Ron that he was sure you two were taking all necessary precautions."

Hermione looked away and stared at nothing for a bit, her only response was a slow nod the almost went to the faint beat from the grandfather clock in the next room.

"I see," she muttered finally. "And was this before or after he tried to unsuccessfully sneak in questions about us?"

Ginny exchanged a small glance with Harry. They were both trying to decide how to answer that question without it resulting in a blowout.

Hermione stood up from the table and calmly wiped her mouth with the napkin on her lap.

"Thank you for the lovely dinner, Ginny. Your cooking skills are excelling with each recipe you make."

"Hermione, wait-"

Ginny jolted out of her seat and ran after her friend who was already walking briskly down the hall towards the front door.

"Do me a favor, floo St. Mungo's in ten minutes and tell them to show up at the Burrow. I imagine they'll be needed after I'm done with Ronald," she called over her shoulder.

Ginny ran and spread arms in front of the door before Hermione managed to grab the handle, grateful that they had kept any Apparating in and out of the home prohibited after moving in.

"There's a chance you might be reading too far into this, 'Mione."

"He probably didn't mean anything of it," Harry helped after he caught up with the girls.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Of course he meant something of it, Harry. The tosser probably thinks he can get inside one of our heads and end anything before it starts. He's always been like this and you know it. In his eyes, I might as well be the toy he once had that one of his brothers took away from him because he wasn't playing with it anymore. Now, just because someone else wants me he thinks he wants me back. I'm sick of his behavior. It's fourth year all over again!"

Her heartstrings pulled and strained as she watched Hermione slump against a wall and bury her head in her hands. Her best friend deserved better than the treatment she was getting. Hadn't the poor girl suffered enough in this life? She spent her childhood helping her friends defeat a dark wizard trying to take over the world, all the while trying to balance out class work, having a normal life and teenage hormones. Additionally, once they were free of war and violence, her friend found herself in a dead end position filled with more wankers who wanted nothing more than take advantage of her skills and knowledge. This was her chance at happiness, _real happiness. _George had the chance to give her a life she deserved.

"Hermione," she spoke softly as she grabbed her wrists and pulled her hands from her face. "No more dancin' about it, yeah? Truth is, we have no idea what's happening. That's why we didn't want to come right out and tell you anything. There's a good chance that he might just be genuinely concerned for the two of you and we took it differently."

Ginny released her wrist and crossed her arms in front of her.

"Ron, is... well, he's an idiot who cocks up every aspect of his life. It's pretty much expected of him these days." Harry, Ginny and Hermione shared a chuckle. "It's true! And you've known him long enough to know it's true. The question I have to ask though, is if he _does_ try to win you back who will you choose?"

The sighed that escaped the girl's lips was barely audible, but Ginny heard it. It was a heavy moment as she watched Hermione work out an answer in her head.

"The renown author, Margaret Mitchell, once said, 'I was never one to patiently pick up broken fragments and glue them together again and tell myself that the mended whole was as good as new. What is broken is broken - and I'd rather remember it as it was at its best than mend it and see the broken places as long as I lived.' It's one of my favorite quotes of all time. After my break up with Ronald, I knew that him coming back to me was a definite possibility. One night, George and I were lounging on the couch engrossed in whatever we were doing. I looked about me and realized that I could never go back to being anything more than friends after the way we left things. I had built a new life for myself. Something I didn't know was capable until George came into my life.

"What George and I have, it's different. For the first time in a very, very long time, I feel excited about my daily life. I love waking up and going to work. I love enjoying a cuppa at the table across from the man that taught me what it was like to be _alive_. He pulled me out of the dark wreckage of what I had become and never left my side. He never judged me. He never made me feel less of myself. He fought for me with _me! _No one has ever done that before. When he says that he loves me, I know without a doubt that he means it, lives and breathes it. Ron left me once, Gin. Who's to say he wouldn't leave me a second time? Or a third time? If we were meant to be, we would never have ended this way."

It was a long bout of silence before anyone spoke up. The conversation took a turn none of them had been planning to go. She wanted to grab onto the girl in front of her and hug the breath out of her lungs for being the one to help give George a reason to live life himself.

As George continued to throw himself back into his work after Fred's death, her family had wanted to believe that he really was getting better. It wasn't until George had began finding new and creative ways to off himself. Even after he made his final swear to quit trying to kill himself, Ginny mentally prepared herself for the worst. Before last Friday, she couldn't recall the last time she had seen true happiness flash across George's face after Fred. It took her breath away the second her brain registered what exactly she was seeing. Her mother had passed between them and held one finger up to her mouth. Molly's glistening eyes betrayed her desperate want to point out her approval of Hermione and the sheer amounts of glee that must have been running through her veins that her son wasn't quite so broken anymore.

"Hermione," Harry said, "Ginny and I promise to keep an eye out for any odd behavior from Ron and let you know, but we can't guarantee we'll be much help."

"You know we're on your side here. Ron's just a great prat and I'll be happy to throw a Bat Boogey Hex his way if he steps a toe out of line under my watch," Ginny told her as she wrapped her arms around her friend.

Hermione muttered a thank you as she moved out of her arms and moved to give Harry a hug as well.

"Just promise me one thing," Hermione started as she fumbled with the strap of her faithful purse. "Don't let George and Percy know that I know just yet. If they want this to stay between brothers, then I wish to respect that until I feel my involvement is necessary. Is that alright?"

"Of course, 'Mione. Whatever you want," Harry assured.

As Harry closed the door behind Hermione when she eventually left a few moments later, Ginny knew that no matter what Percy said this wasn't about brothers as much as it was about Ron and Hermione closing the door on their past. She hoped with all she had that the two exes would be able to salvage a friendship after all of this, but knew better than to hold her breath.

* * *

Hermione went to bed as soon as she arrived back to the comforts of her home. The Cottage was void of all life, save for Gred who promptly ignored her arrival and continued to sleep in the most awkward of positions on the couch. The revelation of Ron attempting to get between her and George had her tossing and turning all night. After three hours of this, she eventually gave up hope and took matters into her own hand, trudging into the kitchen to drown her worries in Calming Draught-spiked tea, grateful that either her roommates were sleeping elsewhere that night or had already fallen into a deep sleep without her noticing.

'_How dare he think he can take this away from me! It's not fair. Just because he and Lavender didn't work out, he thinks he can just bounce between us until he decides which one to settle for. Clearly he thinks less of my intelligence if he truly believes I would be stupid enough to fall for that.'_

The distinct sound of the floo igniting pulled her out of her thoughts. She tensed, realizing that it was more than likely George arriving home. Hermione hoped that, if she was silent enough, he wouldn't even noticed the faint line of light peeking through the bottom of the kitchen door spilling onto the living room floor. If he noticed, then she would have to come up with an excuse and she really didn't feel like lying to him.

Sure enough, the door to the kitchen was pushed gently inward and George's sleepy yet smiling face peered from behind it.

"Hey love, what are you still doing up?"

Hermione held up her cup as George crossed the room and sat across from her at the table. "Couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd help matters along. How was work? You're getting in pretty late."

"It was your typical Tuesday crowd. I stayed after for a bit to get a day ahead so we wouldn't need to worry about anything shop-related interrupting us tomorrow night."

Hermione shared a smile with George as she pushed down her sense of dread and allowed herself to share in his excitement for their first official date as a couple. She felt a tinge crawl up her arm as he reached out to play with her fingers on the table.

"Did you have nightmares again?"

Oh, how she wished that were the case. Not having come up with a better cover, Hermione nodded and decided to go with that. George stood and tugged on the hand he was holding until she stood as well.

"Come on, 'Mione. You're sleeping with me tonight. Let's go."

She giggled as she quickly abandoned her mug before he pulled her too far from the sink and allowed him to drag her to his room. As she climbed into bed beside him and shared a loving goodnight kiss, she could already feel the fog of a dreamless sleep washing over her. George's soft snores fading as she did.

* * *

George hadn't been filled with this much excitement over a date for as long as he could remember. Even the small pang in his chest knowing he couldn't share this moment with Fred wasn't pulling him down from his high. He had given Hermione the day off that morning so she could catch up on her sleep and be well-rested for that night. Wednesday mornings tended to be rather slow, so George used that time to finish up potions he had started the night before.

He willingly took the jokes from Verity and Lee all day. From how they'll be up in a tree kissing (some Muggle rhyme Verity taught Lee) to the fact that he's been prancing about the store as if he'd taken everything from their love section all at once. Their usual customers were even more leery of his behavior; no one should possibly be that happy on a Wednesday, of all days. He didn't care, though. He, George Weasley, would be going on a date with the girl he knew he'd make his future wife one day and nothing anyone could say or do would change that.

Outside of the teasing and suspicious stares, the entire day went perfectly smooth. The last customer made it out the door only a minute or two after the doors had been closed for the night. Lee and George had the till counted and the books ready in record time, and all that was left for George was to finish bottling the last few drops of the potion he had been working on that evening, set the security spells in place, grab his cloak and floo home.

There was a faint pop that echoed in the quiet store somewhere behind him. Lee had only taken off a few moments before and figured he'd forgotten something, as he usually did.

"I swear you'd lose your head if it weren't attached to you mate. You forget something here nearly every night, you forgetful-"

George never had a chance to finish his teasing as a trick rope shot out from behind him and twisted around his arms and torso with such speed and power that he barely kept his balance. His wand slipped out of his hand, clinking and clanking against the hardwood floor of the room as it fell.

"No, I very much remember what I came here for, dear brother."

Every inch of his body tensed as the realization of who had done this overcame his thoughts. As he turned slowly, his eyes seeing the man - no, coward - standing behind before his body was fully turned, George's heart sunk into his stomach.

"You fucking wan-"

George felt his body fly backwards and was tossed hard into a seat behind him. The ropes loosened only slightly to wind themselves around the back of the chair. He was trapped. He couldn't remember the ropes ever tightening this much around the person they held captive. The ropes ground back and forth slightly against his bare arms. He knew it was only a matter of time before blood would start dripping from the wounds that were already forming. No, these were not his trick ropes. These had been altered severely.

He didn't bother to struggle against the ropes. As the original creator, he knew it would be at least another two hours before their reign let off, and that was just on the original product he sold. He had no doubt that whatever he had done to these included the ropes still being on in the early hours. Whatever Ronald Weasley was planning on accomplishing tonight, it didn't appear that it would end with George having a lovely dinner with Hermione as he had originally planned.

"What are you doing, Ickle Ronnikon's?"

He immediately regretted the nickname as the ropes tightened further around him. He could definitely feel blood dripping down his arms now.

"You know, I really do hate that nickname."

"Why do you think we used it to begin with?"

Ron took a few steps toward George. There was something about the way he looked that sent a chill down his spine. He couldn't tell if it was the fact that he had been bested by one of his own pranks or the strange glow overhead from the lights, but Ron had never looked so evil in all his life.

"Don't you have a darling little blonde bird to drown in spit with, little brother? I'm sure she wouldn't want to be separated from her _Won-Won_ for too long."

"Lavender and I haven't been together for the past two weeks and you know that," Ron spat.

"And why did another one of your relationships fail this time? Hmm? This is really becoming a nasty pattern for you, Ronnie." George's voice was snarky and he knew that Ron would snap soon with irritation.

He couldn't help himself, though. Over the years, Percy and Ron had been his and Fred's favorite victims and somehow managed to bring out the very worst in them during sibling tit-for-tats. Egging people on was in George's nature, and he would be damned if he toned it down in the face of his idiot brother's little jealousy tantrum.

"I broke up with Lavender because I realized I was still in love with Hermione." The calm of his voice was eery and cold. "I was planning on begging for forgiveness and convincing her to take me back when I come to find out that she's been shacking up with you this whole."

Ron took a few steps forward and bent over to be nose to nose with George, looking him in the eye and barely blinking.

"You're not going on this date with her tonight, George. Not this one or any other one ever. I will make sure of this."

George narrowed his eyes at him. He could feel his face begin to flush red with heated anger.

"So, let me get this straight, Ronald. You spend four years trying to get Hermione, spending about one of those years dating her dorm mate. Let's not forget when you tried to sabotage her friendship with Krum in fourth year because you were convinced they were dating when they weren't and proceeded to start an argument with her nearly every day while also simultaneously trying to date her. Then, after three years, you decide that you're bored with her and you'd much rather be with Lavender again, leaving Hermione crushed and heartbroken. When Hermione decides to move on and date someone else, you lose what little sense is left in that big empty head of yours and kidnap her date - who is also your older brother, I will add - and spout out threats at him like it'll make a difference. Somewhere in the thick of all this nonsense you call logic, Hermione is supposed to just come running into your arms like you're her fucking hero, back to save her from the mundane life she leads when you're not in it. Is that right?"

George's ear was greeted with more silence, not even a mutter or a sigh in sight.

"That's what I like most about you, Ronald. You're a reliable disappointment," he told him, deadpanned.

A loud crack broke through the air as Ron's fist connected with his nose, but George refused to let on that it hurt as much as it did. _'Fucking Auror training. He never used to hit like that before!'_

"It doesn't matter what you try to pull," he continued. "Hermione's not just any ordinary bird, you know. She gets things, even when the knowledge hasn't been presented to her yet. She somehow just knows so much that she's figured out the answer to everything. When I don't show up to dinner tonight, she's going to come straight here to find me and she'll figure out what's happened. Face it, Ron. You had your chance with her and you blew it. She's with me now, and she'll have to pry my cold, dead hands off her leg to get rid of me."

"That's where you're wrong, George," Ron chuckled. "See, Hermione and I have a history. She just needs to hear me out. Once she does, I'll be able to convince her that being with me is the better choice. I mean, I could let you go run off into the night and tell on me to her, but I already have an alibi handy for tonight. Once she gets proof that I wasn't here, you'll just sound paranoid and look like the jealous boyfriend. I can tell you from experience that Hermione doesn't tolerate that at all. You might be the king of jokes and pranks, but I know everything there is to know about Hermione and I will always have the advantage over you."

Ron's words hit George as if he'd been punched in the stomach. He had to admit, though, that most of the bullocks that dribbled out of Ron's mouth was sound. The leg up George knew he had on him was that Ron's record of being a complete idiot was as great as George's record of lying for purposes of pranking and getting out of trouble. However, this small notion didn't make the fear inside lessen much.

"Sometimes, you are so woefully idiotic that I sort of admire you, Ron. However, I must insist on informing you that whatever you think you're planning is not going to work."

"And that's where you're wrong again, brother," Ron growled.

George was trying his hardest to stuff down any specks of panic he could feel rising within him. He knew Ron wouldn't do anything to hurt Hermione, but he didn't think he would do anything to hurt his own family either. A deep burn was left behind on his skull as he feel a chunk of hair being pulled from the side of his head. He looked up just in time to see Ron dump the hair into a vial of what he knew was Polyjuice before he downed the contents all at once.

"No, George. I do believe you'll be the disappointment this time," Ron said in a voice that was not his own.

George sat wide-eyed and hopeless as Ron's stature shrink slightly and a bit of weight was evenly added onto him. As his hair extended its length and its shade deepened ever so slightly, his left ear began to wither away to a patch of scarred skin against his head. He watched with horror as Ron became him, the similarities to having a twin again not lost on him. George screamed and swore as he struggled against the bindings to be free.

"This chat's been nice, but I do believe I have a date to get to."

"COME BACK HERE, RON! YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS, YOU FUCKING BASTARD! IF YOU TOUCH HER I SWEAR TO ALL THAT IS PURE AND GOOD IN THIS FORSAKEN WORLD THAT I WILL KILL YOU WITH MY FUCKING BARE HANDS! RON!"

He hung his head and pulled against the rope once last time before admitting temporary defeat. He couldn't believe that his brother had snapped so far as to using these means to get what he wanted. George could feel the acid churning in his stomach as his mind raced through all of the possible things Ron could do to Hermione.

"Fred," he whispered as a silent prayer. "Please, don't let him get to her. Please, mate."

There was a tug and pull on the ropes from behind him and he barely, just barely, registered a soft breath on the back of his neck.

"Be quiet and sit still, or I won't be able to get these off."

George twisted his head around side to side trying to figure out what or who was behind him. There was the smallest flash of dark curls on his last attempt.

"I think I've almost got it."

"Hermione?!"


End file.
